Firepaw's heart was heavy as he stepped out of the apprentices' den. Brightpaw, Swiftpaw, Thornpaw, Ashpaw, and Fernpaw were are still asleep inside, but Tigerstar had ordered his apprentice to be awake by the crack of dawn.

It wasn't like Firepaw was able to sleep anyways. He had tossed and turned all night, Cloudpaw's words repeating over and over in his head. "You have to save us, Fireheart!" But how can I? Tigerstar will kill you the moment I step my paw out of line... oh StarClan, why have you let this happen?

The crisp morning breeze did nothing to brighten the tom's mood. A thin layer of dew soaked his paws as he stood in the tall grass, waiting for his mentor.

Finally, he saw a familiar dark pelt emerging from the shadows. Tigerstar was striding towards him from the dirtplace, his amber eyes narrowed. As the leader neared, Firepaw detected the smell of rot and decay under the stench of dung. Why has he been rolling in mushrooms? He's hiding something.

"Greetings, Firepaw," Tigerstar meowed slowly. "I see you actually got up on time."

"Of course," he growled backing, sinking his claws into the dirt and imagining that it was Tigerstar's pelt.

"I would have expected less from a kittypet, but I'm still not impressed. You'll have to prove your worth to me today, or else your little apprentice won't make it to the next sunrise."

Firepaw gulped and nodded. What does he mean by, "prove my worth?" And where was he this morning?

Tigerstar lashed his tail and shoved past Firepaw, making the smaller tom stumble. "Stay on your paws, kittypet. There is much worse to come."

      ~~❤︎❤︎❤︎~~

   The sun was almost at its peak in the sky by the time the two toms reached the Training Hollow. Mousefur and Thornpaw we're practicing crouches near the front of the hollow, while Fernpaw had Darkstripe pinned in the back.

All of the cats snapped to attention as their leader strode past.

"G-good morning, Tigerstar," Darkstripe meowed quickly, dipping his head hastily.

"Oh, uh, r-right," Thornpaw stuttered as his mentor gave him a hard nudge. "H-hi Tigerstar."

"Good morning," the tabby tom dipped his head at his Clanmates, scanning each of them with his cold, calculating amber gaze. "I hope we're practicing battle training."

Mousefur exchanges a glance with her apprentice. "We were just working on Thornpaw's leap attack, Tigerstar."

"And Darkstripe showed me how to hold an enemy warrior down in a pin," Fernpaw added.

"That's all very well," the leader meowed. "But maybe you could try to make it a little harder for them. They're not likely to win in a battle if they are not faced with realistic opponents."

Darkstripe dipped his head again. "Of course, Tigerstar. How would you like us to do that?"

The leader with responded with exactly what Firepaw had assumed and dreaded he would say. "Claws unsheathed. Don't let them win. Show them what it's like to win a real fight. It's much better for their confidence."

"O-of course, Tigerstar," Mousefur sounded worried as she turned to her young apprentice. "Alright then, do as your told. Claws out."

Firepaw shivered and turned back to his mentor. The dark brown tabby already had his black, thorn-sharp claws slid into the dirt. Firepaw admired the pure size and strength of his mentor for a moment. He's going to be nearly impossible to beat.

"Firepaw," Tigerstar growled. "I assume that Bluestar taught you the crouch."

"Yes," he hissed through gritted teeth. "Of course she did."

"And the front paw swipe?"

"Yes."

"A proper spring and pounce."

"Yes, Tigerstar."

"A pin, belly rake, bite, and shoulder grip?"

Firepaw was starting to get annoyed. "Yes."

The leader smirked. "How about the pounce and twist?"

"No, I've never heard of that one," he had to admit.

"Alright, that gives me a starting place," Tigerstar grinned. "I'll show you how it's done."

Before Firepaw could process what was happening, Tigerstar came flying at him. Firepaw instinctively ducked, but the other tom soared far over his head. He missed?

But before he could turn around, Tigerstar barreled into him from behind, sending him flying. He landed with his back up, and Tigerstar pounced on his shoulders, raking them with his claws. Firepaw writhed in his grip, but instead of letting go or dealing a killing blow, his mentor flipped him over onto his back and began to claw at his belly. Firepaw had to bite his lip to stop himself from crying out. He feebly pummeled his opponent's stomach, but to no avail.

Tigerstar grunted and backed off. "That was pathetic," he spat at Firepaw who still lay, panting and bleeding, in the tall, sun-baked grass. "Next time you'll be quicker, won't you?"

"Yes," Firepaw panted, staggering to his paws. With a quick sniff, he determined that his wounds were not deep, just plentiful.

"Alright, now it's your turn."

With a sigh that came out as more of a grunt, Firepaw lowered his haunches to the ground to prepare for the massive leap over the cat in front of him that was easily twice his size. I'll bet all the prey in the forest that Tigerstar is going to swipe up when I jump to knock me down, he thought as he studied his mentor's position. Maybe if I go under him...

"Go!" Firepaw sprang forward and lifted his front paws off the ground in the beginnings of a leap. Tigerstar flashed a smug grin as he reared up to tear Firepaw out of the sky, but the apprentice ducked down and slid in between Tigerstar's trembling hind legs. The leader grunted in confusion and dropped back onto all fours just as Firepaw was whipping around to pin him.

The dark ginger tom was a whirl of claws as he slid onto Tigerstar's back, slashing at his spine and shoulders. But before Firepaw could flip the tom over to deal some critical damage to his belly, the leader flung him off. Firepaw went flying and smacked into a stone. He heard a faint crack, and then the world went fuzzy, and eventually, completely dark.

                             ~~❤︎❤︎❤︎~~

"Is he going to be ok?"

"I think so. It wasn't a major concussion."

"Oh, thank StarClan."

As Firepaw blinked open his eyes, the voices sounded very far away. His vision was blurry, and his head aches something awful.

"I think he's waking up!"

"Firepaw?" He heard the faint scuffling of paws on coarse dirt. "Firepaw, can you hear me?"

"Uggghhhh..." the tom groaned, unable to speak. "Head... hurts..."

"Oh, Cinderpelt, fetch him some poppy seeds!" Firepaw finally recognized the voice and struggled into a sitting position. His vision cleared, and though his head still throbbed, he could clearly make out the cat in front of him.

He blinked at the broad-faced she-cat. "Y-Yellowfang? What happened?"

"Tigerstar brought you back to camp around sunhigh. He said you miscalculated a leap and hit your head on a rock. Is that true?"

"No," Firepaw growled. "I had him pinned, and he flung me aside."

Another familiar cat came limping from somewhere in the back of the den. "I got the seeds. Sorry it took so long, we're running a little low."

"Cinderpelt!" Firepaw purred at his former apprentice. "It's good to see you."

The medicine cat glanced down at her paws, heat radiating off of her pelt. "I wish it was good to see you too, Fireh- I mean Firepaw, but under these circumstances, it's not," her eyes traveled along his pelt. "What happened to you? Tigerstar told us that you hit your head but he didn't explain the open wounds!"

"Battle training," the dark ginger tom sighed, settling down in his nest. "He's going to be furious. I was supposed to 'prove my worth' today."

Something flashed in Cinderpelt's eyes. "If he can't see how much you're worth, then he's as blind as a newborn kit." The she-cat stiffened, as if realizing what she just said, and ducked her head, avoiding meeting Firepaw's gaze. Yellowfang shot her apprentice an amused look, but Firepaw just shook his head. I'll never understand she-cats.

"Well, Firepaw, you're going to have to sleep here tonight," Yellowfang meowed after a few heartbeats, breaking the awkward silence.

"Oh, thank StarClan!" Firepaw cried dramatically. "I hate being stuck in the apprentices den again!"

The two medicine cats chuckled. "Alright, Fireheart," Yellowfang purred. "You'd better get some sleep. Good night."

"Good night," Cinderpelt murmured. She sounded as if she was deep in thought as she stared at Firepaw. He was about to ask what was wrong, when she swung around abruptly and padded away to her nest.

He sighed, feeling his impending sense of dread momentarily drift away with the wind. "Good night."