You're Staying Put (Falcon)

[Midnight]

(Falcon)

Briarclaw slipped wordlessly into the elders' den, hoping as few cats saw her as possible. With the elders all taking a walk with several warrior chaperones, Briarclaw had plenty of time to discuss with Mudpaw what Pebblestar had told her as to why he wasn't promoted to being a warrior.

The deputy had no idea any of this was going on, having been so wrapped up in her duties. She didn't realize what Mudpaw was like, but when Pebblestar told her about him, Briarclaw definitely started seeing it, so she was by far ageeing with Pebblestar's decision on the matter.

Settling down on the den's floor, Briarclaw waited patiently for Mudpaw to arrive. The deputy was rarely able to relax anymore, so she was definitely going to take advantage of this, and in a way, Briarclaw hoped that Mudpaw would take his time getting here.

[Falcon]

Mudpaw walked into the den silently his face, which once had been so full of eagerness and happiness that seemed to be able to light up dark cave when he was a kit, is blank of any emotion, his eyes hard but blank as well, like a wall is in the way of his heart he doesn't speak when he sees her there, he just sits and waits

[Midnight]

"Mudpaw," Briarclaw hesitantly greeted the apprentice with a nod of her head. She wasn't really sure how to approach the whole situation: should she sugarcoat what Pebblestar said or not? Probably not, because if that's what the leader wanted, she would've done so herself. If Pebblestar really cared about what Mudpaw thought and what he would do, she would've given him the ceremony without a doubt. Instead, she held the tom back while almost every cat in the Clan was aware of it, knowing that Mudpaw should've become a warrior with the rest of them.

but that wasn't what the leader had decided, and what the leader says is what must be obeyed.

"Mudpaw, I'm sure you're wondering why you're not yet a warrior. I was planning on including you in the ceremony when Pebblestar pulled me aside and told me to skip over you and tell you why." Briarclaw waited about half a minute to let all of this really settle in. "You're rude," Briarclaw started icily, "and we need an attitude adjustment from you. You may be strong enough and have the hunting skills to become a warrior, but being a good warrior includes having a positive attitude and good spirits. No cat can always be in a good mood, but TalonClan doesn't want to be known for grouchy, insensitive warriors. Clean up your act, Mudpaw, or you will remain an apprentice for a very long time." Briarclaw narrowed her eyes at Mudpaw, her lips peeling back in a snarl.

For some reason, she felt the urge to attack him, even though she didn't really know him. It was an odd feeling, one of pent-up anger, and Briarclaw had a hard time restraining herself, but she managed. She needed to take all of her anger, energy, and misery out, but not now, not at Mudpaw. The Clans couldn't live in peace forever, there was bound to be another battle, and Briarclaw would tear her claws through some cat's flesh again some day. This was not the day to release it all.

[Falcon]

Mudpaw didn't say anything in response, what was the point of it really? there was none so he just nodded and went about checking the elders nests in silent, might as well while he was there after all, save the trip for another cat and fill up a bit of his time so he doesn't have to talk to his friends

[Midnight]

"Excuse me, but what are you doing?" Briarclaw snarled, her right eyelid twitching slightly. "Are you not going to respond? When your deputy tells you something, you respond, Mudpaw. A 'yes, ma'am', at the least, young one. I'm not only your deputy, but I'm also older than you, so I feel that a little respect is due. I mean, I do all kinds of mousedung for this Clan, but do I ever get any thanks?! NO! NO, I DO NOT!" Briarclaw's snarling suddenly transformed into screeching, and she began pacing in the entrance of the den. If Mudpaw wanted to get out, he'd have to fight first, or he'd have to run really fast, and wherever he ran, Briarclaw would definitely follow. The she-cat's claws were out, scraping against the cave floor, a chalk-on-chalkboard-like sound following every pawstep.

"Look at me, you crowfood-eating apprentice! I mean it when I say you'll never make it to being a warrior while I'm alive if you don't pay some attention to me and respond! You're worth as much as fox-dung, you mouse-heart! You should consider yourself lucky that StarClan watches over us, or you'd be dead. Got it? You got it? Maybe if you start a trend, a neato little fad, of being nice and showing appreciation to your deputy, maybe it'll catch on! Maybe I'll get some recognition in this Clan! Or, you know, maybe not, because no cat really seems to care about you! They care as little about you as they care about me, and I'm the one working hard and being nice! Before you start complaining about having to be an apprentice, try being a deputy for a day! Tell me how life is then, you ungrateful piece of twoleg dung!"

After her harangue, Briarclaw was breathing heavily, standing in the entrance, her fur black-and-orange fur sticking up everywhere, all four paws apart, yellowed teeth bared. "Well?! What do you have to say to that?"

[Falcon]

"I'm glad you feeling better now Briarclaw, you shouldn't keep things pent up, it's unhealthy sometimes it's worth being everyone's punching bag if it makes them feel better" Mudpaw shrugged "so I took the blunt of Ivyheart's punishment, in my own way, I act like I'm disrespectful so that she'll still have her own respect in tact, I didn't like her much at first, but I was willing to do that for her, cause she was my mentor, even if it means I have to be an apprentice for the rest of my life Ivyheart got a new apprentice and now she doesn't care about me, I was just half clan trash that interrupted her naps but she was my mentor I respected her more then she'll ever know, not that it really matters anymore she is happy to be rid of me now" he shakes his head "Do you have nightmares Briarclaw?" he asks seemingly randomly

[Midnight]

And now she understood.

It all made sense now.

but now she was the one who couldn't respond.

It took several minutes, but Briarclaw finally conjured up some things that seemed similar to words in her mind before finally speaking."Do I really look like I'm feeling better? I'm not. In fact, I liked it better when you weren't speaking." Briarclaw sat down and was fighting the urge to attack this apprentice, and not out of stress this time. Her eyesight was blurry, everything seemed to be a bit red, at that, and her heart was racing.

Was she going to black out or was she just so beyond furious that she couldn't think straight?

"First of all, you're an idiot if you think being disrespectful to Ivyheart will help her in any way. In fact, you're making her job worse, and you've seen where it got the two of you. She received the punishment of being an apprentice for a day and you've been held back from being a warrior. How do you feel now? Not so good, I'm guessing, and I can only imagine what Ivyheart will do to you when she gets near you again. With the way you act, I can say I'd be happy to get rid of you, too, but maybe that's not fair of me because I'm in such a horrid mood. StarClan knows I'm not the biggest fan of you, but I had no idea you were half-Clan, so maybe that had nothing to do with it for Ivyheart."

After calming down for a few minutes and thinking about the question Mudpaw asked, Briarclaw finally responded. "Yes, of course I have nightmares. We all do. It's normal. Why do you ask?"

[Falcon]

"in my dreams, I die every night the cat comes and he tears me apart like he did the first time" Mudpaw sits down lifting his head so that the scar on his neck, and same shape and size of a cat's jaws hit the light "he rips me open and laughs as I bleed onto the ground everyone laughs, it's hard to sleep if I even manage to fall asleep at all ever since the first time he's all I see he comes out of that dead forest where he lives and he attacks me over and over again, it gets so hard to breath" he mumbles the last part to himself