a damp mist hung heavily in the air, a golden furred tom—cat meandered through the swampy territory, with a glum expression set upon his maw. mud squelched under—paw with every heavy, yet graceful, stride the deputy took. behind him, hollyhockpaw and sweetpaw trailed with a pip on their step.

the young tom 'paw had begged and insisted mothroar in allowing sweetpaw to tag along with them. mothroar could envision it all now: the tom's gleeful grin and enlarged, rounded and, almost shiny, kit—like eyes as he hounded him about sweetpaw having healed, meaning she was capable of patrolling with them.

of course, mothroar caved: otherwise sweetpaw would remain in a bundle in her nest back at camp.

suddenly, hollyhockpaw's eyes widened as he caught a whiff of something unfamiliar. his nose twitched, and without a moment's hesitation, he veered off the trail and disappeared into a dense thicket. both mothroar and sweetpaw exchanged a glance of concern, their heartbeats quickening.

and, moments later, they heard a scuffle, followed by a yelp of surprise. mothroar raced forward, his instincts kicking in, with sweetpaw hobbling close behind.

the both of them emerged from the thicket to find hollyhockpaw engaged in a playful tussle with a young otter. the sleek creature was a stunning contrast to the dull, swampy surroundings, its greasy fur glistening with droplets of water. it seemed unphased by the sudden intrusion and merely swam in playful circles around the tom—cat, chirping merrily.

a wave of relief washed over mothroar and sweetpaw as they realized the young otter meant no harm. they couldn't help but chuckle at hollyhockpaw's antics, his whiskers twitching in amusement. the otter vanished back into the murky water, giving a final whistle of a chirp before diving and submerging.

hollyhockpaw swayed back towards the pair, joining them once again, as they twined through the groggy terrain. the splatter of the water—dwelling beasts that rippled the rivers waters echoed through the quiet air, words absent as the two 'paws and their deputy ambled carefully, eyes watchful of where they placed their paw — making sure to not step it in a wrong place and be a meal for an alligator.

towering pine trees up ahead swayed from left to right in the soft breeze that bristled through the air, and the fur along sweetpaw's spine prickled like a hedgehogs back — she was unsettled by something, but hollyhockpaw shoved it aside and put it down to the eerie atmosphere they currently wandered through.

❝ sweetpaw, with me! ❞ mothroar said. the two apprentices hadn't noticed how far ahead the older tom—cat had walked, and he was practically yelling over his shoulder for them. giving mothroar a puzzled gaze, hollyhockpaw's eyebrows raised at his mentor.

he was his mentor. why was sweetpaw going with him...

no, it didn't matter.

his shoulders rolled and he trudged upwards towards mothroar, who was clearly tired of waiting by the blank expression upon his face.

❝ i'm taking sweetpaw with me this way, i trust you enough to do a quick check that way, ❞

hollyhockpaw looked the way in which mothroar's head flicked towards and he nodded, leaping with a joyful and rather playful stride into the brush. he hadn't yet gone on his own, and it would be easier for hollyhockpaw to go alone, right? kill two birds with one stone.

as hollyhockpaw treaded with caution through the shadowy overgrowth of the forest, he felt a tingle crawl up his spine. the dark aroma of damp moss and earthly vegetation fuelled the air, as if every essence of the forest was beckoning him to travel deeper and deeper. with each stride he took, the dampness of the ground clung to his pads, a reminder of the marshy muck that hid beneath layers of fallen pine needles.

unbeknownst to the tuxedo apprentice, his feline instincts had failed to detect the ominous presence lurking amidst the greenery. gatorcricket trailed behind the patrol, concealing himself with expertise, standing down wind — not that it mattered much to hollyhockpaw, his mind was wandering, as where his eyes, ears and whiskers as the cat was gleefully gawking at the scenery he was walking through.

a sinister grin stretched across the dark pelted warriors face, fueled by his nefarious intent to pounce upon the unsuspecting apprentice and strike him down.

and, with grace, gatorcricket pounced from his concealed hiding spot, the suddenness of the jump caused hollyhockpaw's heart to race, and his feet to scramble to find his bearings after being frightened.

❝ oh— gatorcricket, you scared— ❞

a forceful swing towards hollyhockpaw caused the apprentice to gasp and cut his sentence short. panic coursed through his veins as he leaped aside, attempting to outmanoeuvre his assailant.

the chase began: an intricate dance between predator and prey, in the eyes of gatorcricket, all beneath the somber canopy of foliage.

hollyhockpaw felt his muscles twinge and burn as his body was kicked into a state of panic, all while he sprinted through the treacherous terrain. oh how he wished for mothroar to be around the corner of a tree to stop this fool in his tracks. gatorcricket's sinister presence drew closer. he could practically feel his breath upon the back of his neck. each pound of his heartbeat resonated in hollyhockpaw's ears, amplifying the urgency of the moment.

gatorcricket deftly navigated the tangled maze of branches and thick undergrowth beneath him and began closing the distance between himself and hollyhockpaw with every swift stride he took.

❝ h—help! ❞ hollyhockpaw yowled in hopes that either mothroar or sweetpaw would hear his cries and come to his aid. but with every passing second, and every bound and leap, it was evident that gatorcricket was trailing him further and further away from his mentor and companion.

he gulped.

in a daring manner, hollyhockpaw abruptly skidded to a halt, using the inexpert change in his momentum to his advantage — and it caught gatorcricket off guard by the sudden turn of events. the warrior stumbled, paws grappling for balance, and hollyhockpaw seized the opportunity to lunge at his attacker.

clearly with a similar idea in mind, gatorcricket also reached forward. the two cats kicked off their hind legs before interlocking with one another, tumbling to the ground. a heavy blow to the chest caused hollyhockpaw to splutter and cough, an act at attempting to catch his breath after being whacked in the gut.

the older cat stood off of hollyhockpaw, walking a few paces away to allow him to get to his feet — give him a chance, of sorts, before he resorted to tearing him into crow food.

❝ gatorcricket— i— mothroar— mothroar will hear about this! he'll— he'll punish you! ❞

the weakened cough of hollyhockpaw's words seemed to not phase gatorcricket, and he clicked his tongue before musing gently, finishing it with a very obvious roll of his eyes — all the while circling hollyhockpaw.

❝ i have been waiting for days to tear you into little pieces. days. ever since your failed attempt at proving yourself to be a 'warrior', i've wanted to worm out the bad blood of this clan... starting. with. you! ❞

a strong emphasis on his final word was heard and gatorcricket hurtled towards the smaller cat he'd chased down, his jaws snapping.

hollyhockpaw narrowly swerved to the side, swiping at gatorcrickets flank. a low growl escaped the warriors throat, a scornful scowl flashing and radiating off of his scarred face, as he lunged again, tackling him to the ground with a heavy hit.

hollyhockpaw gave the senior cat a teary expression, eyes a puddle of fear — and, in that moment, the dark tom—cat paused for a whisker of a second, before bringing his paw into the air, ready to bring it down and blow a strike upon his foe.

the weight of his muscular body pressed against hollyhockpaw's slightly slender frame, threatening to suffocate him, and victory seemed within gatorcricket's grasp. with a raised paw, it was evident he was preparing to deliver the final blow to hollyhockpaw, who wriggled and wormed under his weight — struggling as he broke free and took off, feet crawling at the ground to gather his balance and momentum. and he hurtled away from gatorcricket.

but, hollyhockpaw hadn't much luck and didn't manage to travel too far before he felt the heavy hook of an arm under his rear legs, and within seconds he was back to being squashed by the larger and older cats weight.

gatorcricket's paw struck hollyhockpaw's face with a sickening thud, and the young cat let out a cry of pain as blood trickled down the side of his muzzle. with a hiss of pain, the bi—coloured feline stumbled away after scrambling to his feet once again, and he glared at gatorcricket. a terrible burning sensation pulsated from the open wound upon his face, and blood oozed like a flowering waterfall. the tom's breath became laboured, as he struggled to grasp what had happened.

his eyes narrowed in on his bloodied muzzle, which was now stained crimson, instead of the pure white colour it usually was, and he felt a sudden wave of sickness wash over him at the sight of it.

gatorcricket, on the other paw, seemed to be relishing triumphantly. his green eyes glinted with a savage glimmer as he advanced towards the wounded apprentice, tongue briskly sliding across his dark maw as he walked closer.

hollyhockpaw gritted his teeth and steadied himself for yet another attack, by this point, he had half—heartedly given up and accepted his fate. if he was to die here, he'd die trying his hardest.

gatorcricket loomed closer. and closer. and closer.

the tom—cats tail flickered aggressively left and right with every paw—step he took. an eruption of a roar escaped gatorcricket's gaped jaw, and, within the blink of an eye, he was coursing through the air towards hollyhockpaw — who stood with his body lowered to the floor, eyes tightly scrunched shut.

a deafening yowl pierced over the eruption of noise that came from gatorcricket's mouth, and hollyhockpaw opened his eyes to see a flash or golden coloured fur mixing with the darker pelt of gatorcricket's. the cats tumbled in the dirt, grappling one another with their fangs, claws piercing skin and tearing tufts of fur from the body of another.

a snarl erupted from the bodies. hollyhockpaw watched, scared, shocked, and unsure as to what was happening. his eyes darted back and forth as mothroar rolled and dived in the muck in an attempt to neutralise gatorcricket.

the rustling of bushes caused them to shuffle and part and the two cats vanished from sight: causing the young apprentice to let out an spluttered gasp. the coppery tang of blood tickled the back of his throat, and he just coughed after his inhale.

mothroar and gatorcricket stood face to face with another, both of their bodies angled and their backs arched, tails quivering like an angry rattle. the deputy, with a disgusted expression just glared at gatorcricket.

❝ do you have bees in your brain?! ❞ mothroar spat upon standing upright slightly. ❝ you fox—hearted fool, you'll pay for this, ❞

with a snarl, mothroar launched himself. his paws landed heavily on gatorcrickets back and the two cats tumbled once again. mothroar blew out his rear legs, claws unsheathed, and his face stretched with a grin upon the feeling of warmth around his toes — meaning he had struck hard and deep enough to lacerate the tom's skin.

the exclaim that gatorcricket let out was enough evidence that mothroar had inflicted damage upon him, and he pushed himself away from mothroar — who had since gained his balance and was yet again facing him.

gatorcricket bounded, ignorant to the pain in his gut. both he and mothroar met head—on and both threw themselves into a flurry of claws and fangs.

mothroar's ears rang simultaneously, and in the distance, he could just about make out the high pitched beckons of sweetpaw as she cried for hollyhockpaw to stay back.

both cats were evenly matched: similar in size and strength, age too. they were both skilled combatants of whisperclan, and both equally as stubborn as another when it came down to wounds and pain — both being the type to push on, even if shredded like a piece of road—kill.

mothroar landed a deep scrape across gatorcricket's side, and he felt his body twitch upon impact. gatorcrickets retaliation? a snap on the shoulder and a jerk of his head.

pain shot through mothroar's body, but he refused to back down. he swung his paw around in a fierce arc, raking his claws across gatorcricket's face. blood poured from the fresh wounds, dribbling down across his eyes, but gatorcricket barely seemed to notice. he just kept trading blows.

the deputy tom—cat could feel the burn and drain of his body. the prolonged fight was taking a toll on him.

clearly desperate to finish the fight, as he too was exhausted from the tossing and turning, and weak from the seeping blood from his wounds, gatorcricket hooked a clawed paw towards mothroar. he caught him, bringing the tabby cat closer, before bringing him into the ground — back feet battering his stomach the best he could while attempting to keep the cat properly in his grasp.

❝ get off of him! ❞ a voice boomed. hollyhockpaw had scrambled from sweetpaw's grip. she had attempted to keep the fellow apprentice away from the fight, not wanting him to get anymore injuries — as the one upon his muzzle looked horrible as it was.

racing towards the pair, he was determined to help mothroar. he couldn't bear sitting and watching his mentor get wounded further — purely because hollyhockpaw submitted and admitted defeat before mothroar happened upon them.

with a hard gulp, hollyhockpaw jumped. gaining momentum, he rammed his head into gatorcricket's shoulder, and the pair of them slipped in the mud. mothroar was free from gatorcricket's grasp, and was regaining his breath while gasping and spluttering.

gatorcricket was quick to recover. he was on his feet within moments of smacking the floor, while hollyhockpaw was dazed for a mere moment.

seizing the opportunity with an opening in his grasp, mothroar pounded at the dirt. his body travelled heavily towards gatorcricket, who was focused on the struggling 'paw that gained traction in the grime below.

a firm snap of his jaw, and mothroar clamped his fangs around the top of the tom's tail, and he yowled loudly, writing and rolling to flick the cat off of him. mothroar yanked at gatorcricket and, with the help of his claws as they pierced into his skin, mothroar dragged the black tom—cat closer to him after releasing his grip on the tail — jaw widening when he managed to pull and yank the warrior nearer to his body. he bit down and clamped on the scruff of his opponent, before flashing a pleading look at hollyhockpaw — praying that his apprentice would see is struggling, and come to his aid.

hollyhockpaw stood. his expression was blanked out and the world seemed to be a blur, but he was shot back to reality at the cries of sweetpaw.

❝ holly—! do something— do something now! ❞

a sickening sound of claws upon flesh caused the apprentice to shudder. he found himself in front of mothroar, gatorcricket still firmly in his grasp, still scruffed.

gatorcricket yoked in pain, and anger, and he thrashed wildly to escape mothroar's grip. but with every worm and wriggle, he seemed to slow down, chest heaving, rising and falling quickly. he was panting heavily.

with fur drenched with blood, gatorcricket looked down at the opening in his throat, before staring at hollyhockpaw with widened eyes, which soon glazed over with emptiness.

gatorcricket's body loosely flopped from mothroar's grip, sinking into the growing puddle of blood that swelled and mixed with the wet dirt.

hollyhockpaw recoiled in horror. he wretched and gave both sweetpaw and mothroar a panicked look.

❝ what did i do. what did i do— mothroar. mothroar i just killed a cat! ❞ he spluttered. his muzzle was still soaked with blood, guaranteed to be a mix of his own and gatorcrickets, and in a matter of seconds, his eyes watered.

hollyhockpaw brushed his paw across his face and a twisted knot formed in his stomach, his mind spinning like a crazed hurricane. his paws trembled as he looked away from gatorcricket's body, blinking away the tears that had formed.

he was greeted with the presence of sweetpaw. she slowly approached, tentative and cautious. she didn't want to spook him and loose an eye or an ear for her actions. it was clear hollyhockpaw was in shock at the situation.

sweetpaw placed a paw atop his and she brushed his forehead into his chest.

❝ you did what you had to do... ❞ the she—cat whispered, a hasty breath shaking her lungs as she spoke. she leaned back and took a look at the tom, who was still focused on anything but the deceased clan cat nearby. she hesitated for a moment before rolling her tongue across his muzzle — attempting to clear up as much blood as she could, despite the horrid tangy taste is created in her mouth.

hollyhockpaw winced at the roughness of her tongue but he knew she meant no harm. she was trying to help soothe him after such a... situation.

mothroar cleared his throat. he had taken a moment to gain his breath, and let his legs ease from the excessive movement his body had just endured from that fight. mothroar pushed his head under gatorcricket's body and tossed the cat over his back — a uhmph expelling from his tongue after doing so, and he brushed past the apprentices, tail flicking to get them to follow.

mothroar dropped gatorcricket's stiff body onto the ground upon entering camp. prying eyes and gasps echoed throughout the camp, and cats stopped doing what they were doing — approaching the matter with perked ears and raised brows.

hollyhockpaw and sweetpaw had followed in after mothroar, who had beckoned for stormstar and brindlefur to come at once.

the pale coloured calico she—cat wandered over, after gasping at the body, before focusing upon the state of hollyhockpaw. she guided the cat to the medicine den and gently shoved him into a nest, a matter of urgency bubbling in her mind, while she tended to the wound, which he jerked and twitched at while the medicine cat brushed her paws harshly over it to apply a poultice that she had asked flypaw to churn up.

hollyhockpaw didn't care for the wound. he wanted to see what was happening outside. if he was to he punished. if mothroar was to be punished. he growled at brindlefur, who gave him a stern scowl and a gentle smack across the back of the head.

❝ keep still you mouse—brain! ❞ flypaw grumbled after noticing how irritated brindlefur had become with the tom—cats persistence to leave. she brushed her paw over his lip a final time and then sighed and nodded. he was free to go — the wound had been cleaned, and that was the best she could do, for the time being. she would assess it later on once hollyhockpaw wasn't in such a skittish state.

❝ all those old enough to hunt, gather before the dead—tree for a clan meeting, ❞.

his heart sunk. stormstar's tone sounded serious, urgent too. hollyhockpaw gulped and approached, cautiously slinking across the camp and settling beside sweetpaw who had already taken a seat, awaiting to find out what was happening.

❝ it is with a heavy heart that i bring you all some terrible news. today, we lost a good warrior. gatorcricket was killed today, following the events of an attack that he led, ❞

stormstar began. the crowd hushed, chattering away prior to his speech, and the clan cats exchanged puzzled looks with one another.

❝ hollyhockpaw, ❞

oh, starclan... this was it. he was going to be exiled. his gut churned. he wanted to hock up a hairball, or a puddle of vomit from his last meal, but he forced it down with a dry swallow, and his head veered lowly, ears flattening.

❝ today you showed great courage. despite the circumstances of the situation, you have proven yourself to be a capable, strong warrior... ❞

silence still lingered.

❝ mothroar told me about your bravery and fearlessness, even when face to face with a warrior double your size and strength... ❞

stormstar eyed hollyhockpaw. his gaze was soft, which confused hollyhockpaw further, but he listened as the tom—cat continued.

❝ i, stormstar, leader of whisperclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. they have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and i commend them to you as a warrior in their turn ❞

hollyhockpaw choked. he stared at sweetpaw, who just smiled at him in return, with widened eyes and a dropped jaw.

❝ hollyhockpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life? ❞

silenced by what he was hearing, hollyhockpaw's mouth wavered and he blubbered out his words rapidly. ❝ i— i do! i do! ❞

❝ then, by the power of starclan, i give you your warrior name. hollyhockpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as hollyhockfang. starclan honours your valour, and fighting ability, and we welcome you as a full warrior of whisperclan ❞

stormstar jumped off of the deceased tree, and it groaned under his weight. he awaited for the hollyhockpaw to approach him, after navigating through the crowd — before resting his muzzle atop his forehead. hollyhockpaw glazed his tongue across stormstar's shoulder and turned to focus on the clan as they cheered and veered out his name: sweetpaw at the very back, standing as tall as she could, a beaming smile upon her face.

❝ hollyhockfang! hollyhockfang! ❞. the words bumbled about his head. he stood, dazed, shocked.

( artwork by lovtowne )