For WattyWarriors 's contest about a cat with a disability.

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"I'm not sure that we should be here... You know there're horses here?" A small black-and-white she-cat glanced around, stars reflecting off her yellow eyes.

"Of course, why else would we come here? Horsepaw should get to see what she's named after!" A mostly black tom replied, thin-furred tail waving. "Isn't that right, Horsepaw?" A golden-brown tabby she-cat glanced up aloofly, her eyes slightly distant.

"Right, Ivypaw." She agreed. The black tom gave a satisfactory purr.

"See? The horses should be just up here-- I can smell them..."

"It doesn't matter anyway, you can barely see anything it's so dark! Why'd we have to go at night..!" The black and white she-cat whined. Ivypaw rolled his eyes, lightly shoving the shorter she-cat.

"Obviously because we can't go during the day, Duckpaw. We have training and Mossclaw hates it when Horsepaw does anything without his permission--" Ivypaw was cut off by a shrill screech. Ivypaw and Duckpaw whipped around, pelts on end.

"Horsepaw!" Duckpaw cried out, a sickening feeling dropping on the she-cat as her eyes fell upon a bloody sight.

The thin-furred brown tabby she-cat was still letting out loud broken yowls, her eyes wide with pain.

     "HORSE!!" Ivypaw screeched in a loud hiss. The shadows wrapped around the animal, but the moonlight lightly traced an outline around their broad shoulders and huge flanks.

"I...I think it stepped on her!" Duckpaw wailed. Horsepaw hadn't moved, blood pooling on the ground around her front left paw. She looked up, golden amber eyes full of fear at the massive beast: wide nostrils flaring as it reared up in surprise for a second time, huge hard paws ready to strike another cat.

       "Move!" Ivypaw dove in, grabbing the other apprentice by the scruff and toppling them both into a mass of cool, tall grass. Horsepaw sucked in a mass of air as she felt a surge of pain shoot up from her paw. "Come on, Horsepaw!" Ivypaw was already scrambling to his paws, ready to run, and Duckpaw was streaking away in a black-and-white blur. The dark horse was also dashing off in the opposite direction. "Come on!"

      Horsepaw shifted slightly, not willing to look at her leg that was stretched out of her feather-lined nest. She glanced over to where Beetleleaf was, humming the names of herbs quietly while pulling some out herbs the apprentice didn't recognize. I hope Furzestar doesn't make me become a medicine cat.. The tabby shut her eyes tight, not wanting to look down at her paw.

"Let all cats gather below the High Mound for a BurrowClan meeting!" The call of the leader sounded, and Horsepaw whined softly, knowing what was coming. Beetleleaf was already calling to her brightly.

"Come on, Horsepaw! It won't be so bad, I promise!" She purred. She's only being nice to me because she wants me as an apprentice... I don't think Furzestar has even told Beetleleaf what's happening with me. Horsepaw huffed and got to her paws. She kept her forepaw off the ground, causing her eyes to fall to the deep, perfectly curved scar marring her paw, making her toes splay out and her claws stay retracted.

Keeping her weight off the permanently useless paw, she stumbled out of the den. Sunlight beat down on her, hot but not quite as uncomfortable as what her clanmates were making her feel. Every BurrowClan cat was gathered by the High Mound, and every cat had a softened expression that were locked on her. She kept moving, past Ivypaw, who was keeping his eyes trained ahead on Furzestar, and Duckpaw, who also couldn't bear to meet her eye. She noticed the black-and-white pelt of Mossclaw, her mentor, who was eyeing her with dark eyes. He looked away. Everyone is acting so weird around me now-- they all are forcing on these fake faces.

      "Horsepaw." Furzepaw purred from atop the grassy mound. The sunlight made his golden-brown tabby fur seem even more bright. She looked up at the small hill, somehow feeling intimidated of its height. I used to play here, but now I can't even climb up it.

Furzestar seemed to notice, and he slid down the side of the High Mound, the tall grass ruffling under the leader's small paws. He rested his striped tail on her flank, but Horsepaw wanted nothing more than to shrink away.

"As you all know, two moons ago, Horsepaw was severely injured by a horse. I've spoken to StarClan, and they have helped guide my decision for her future," he paused before continuing, "Horsepaw, you will continue to train as a warrior." The leader purred. As soon as Horsepaw's face lit up, her clanmates seemed to visibly relax. "However.." Furzestar swallowed, as if he was uncomfortable, and Horsepaw shifted. "Mossclaw won't be your mentor anymore."

The tabby apprentice glanced over to the black-and-white patched tom who was looking to his paws tensely. She grew hot, and the cause wasn't due to the beating sun.

"Instead, you'll be trained by Fennelcreek..!" His voice cracked just slightly. "I hope Fennelcreek will pass down all she knows to you." What? What's wrong with Mossclaw; he was supposed to show me everything, not her.... Horsepaw looked to Fennelcreek, who was standing up from the middle of her clanmates. She was broad with light ginger tabby fur. "Fennelcreek, you're ready to take on your second apprentice." Horsepaw swiveled her ears curiously as most cats bowed their heads respectfully. "You received excellent training from Rooktail and have shown yourself to be observant and determined. You will be the new mentor of Horsepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." The cats broke out in purrs as Fennelcreek padded to Horsepaw, touching noses. Horsepaw, shocked, didn't move a muscle as the warrior reached to press her pink nose to the apprentice's.

      The cats broke up as Furzestar announced the meeting was over, and Horsepaw limped over to Mossclaw, almost falling, her golden eyes wide.

      "W-Why am I not your apprentice anymore..?" She swallowed, ears back. Mossclaw's seemed to be forcing his field of vision to her face, his yellow eyes hard. She remembered when they were bright, but serious, as he would eagerly show her the ways of a warrior.

      "I...." He whispered, his eyes drifting down to her paw. Horsepaw's eyes dropped as well, the ugly splayed out toes and claws making her want to run. I'm not sure if I can even run anymore. "I can't do it." Her pelt pricked, and she felt the burning sensation to tears threatening to spark, but she pushed it away.

       "Why not? You've trained three apprentices before me--" Horsepaw's neck fur was on end, and a surge of anger coursed through her.

      "It's not that-- I can't do.. You.. Anymore." His black-and-white fur was also fluffing up, from discomfort, making the older tom seem even bigger.

      Horsepaw's pelt flattened, and she looked down at her paws, defeated as the realization came to her. He's trained three of the greatest warriors in the clan. I won't be a forth.

      "I understand." She choked out. The tabby turned, lightly walking past her staring clanmates. No cat spoke to her. She padded out of the camp that was enclosed in bushes, breathing in. She hadn't left camp since that night-- the open, grassy fields seeming much less inviting now. She moved along, though, cursing under her breathe every time she stumbled. Grass licked her pelt, up to the middle of her legs, and the sun burned against her short-furred pelt.

       "Horsepaw?" She turned as she heard a voice. Fennelcreek. Rather than facing her mentor, Horsepaw moved faster, but her eyes widened as she moved too fast, tripping over her broken paw and tumbling down the grassy slope.

       She blinked her eyes open blearily, breathing heavily. She let out a broken cry, shutting her eyes tightly. It was only half a moment before she felt the presence of Fennelcreek-- a cat she never even talked to! "Are you alright?" The she-cat asked quickly, and Horsepaw could only flick her tail.

       "I can't even walk!" She cried, pressed her face into her front paws, the feeling of her splayed paw still foreign. She felt the added heat of the pale ginger she-cat against her flank, and the apprentice buried her head deeper into her paws.

       "I'll help you. You'll get past this." Her mentor murmured comfortingly, but Horsepaw  shook her off.

       "That's what every cat says who visits me. Beetleleaf, Furzestar, ....Ivypaw, Duckpaw. They'll be apprentices next moon, and you know what I'll be doing?" The golden-brown she-cat looked over to the warrior, her vision blurred with tears. "I'll be learning to walk. That's something a kit learns when they're a moon old. I'm eleven moons old. I'm supposed to be learning Jump and Pins, Upright Locks! I can't even hunt anymore, let alone defend my clan!" Fennelcreek's oddly blue eyes were set with determination.

"We won't be doing Jump and Pins and Upright Locks for a while, I admit. But we will be working to get there. It will be hard, and you'll want to give up.. But Horsepaw.. You can't." Her ears were alert, her eyes trained on Horsepaw. Not like the other though... Not in a forced way. Not like she's avoiding to look at the rest of me.

"Mossclaw won't even train me, though." Horsepaw mumbled, and Fennelcreek's fur stood on end.

"I don't want to hear about him. Get up." She growled.

"...What..?"

"Get up!"

The golden-brown tabby got to her paws, her amber eyes wide with shock.

"You survived! So now you have to work harder; harder than any other apprentice. We start now. Try to walk on your splayed paw." Horsepaw shook her head, blinking away the dried tears that no longer threatened to pour out.

"I can't..!"

"And you won't if you don't try."

"I'll fall. Again." Horsepaw trembled as she struggled to her paws, a warm breeze lightly playing with her fur.

Fennelcreek shook her head.

"I won't let you."

Horsepaw took in a deep breathe and nodded, sniffing lightly and her gold eyes setting with a spark of confidence and determination.

"Alright."

AN

Also @wattys I did email this to you as well. Hopefully gmail didn't screw up my indents tho c: