"Wake up." Otterpaw's eyes flashed open, startled. Above her, outlined by dim sunlight, was the huge black-and-white shape of Magpiepaw. Her fur was sleek and groomed, and she smelled of fresh-kill. "I told Fernpaw to wake you up a while ago, but I guess he didn't...," Otterpaw scrambled to her paws, looking out of the bush den.

      "How late is it?!" She began running her tongue over her pelt.

      "The sun just rose." Magpiepaw said after a moment of thought. "And," her eyes bright, "Pinerock is here today." Otterpaw nearly choked mid-stroke.

     "Pinerock is never here! Oh StarClan, I'm late on the one day that it really matters...!" Otterpaw abandoned the grooming task, making her way out of the den.

      "It's odd though, since he is the head mentor of Mistletoe League." Magpiepaw remarked, padded much slower after the dark tabby.

      "That's just his way of doing it, I guess.." Otterpaw sat down at someone else's half-finished mouse, which she figured was Kitepaw's. The ginger and white she-cat could never sit still long enough to finish a meal.

      "Yewpatch was there nearly every day in the Wasp League." Magpiepaw remarked, flicking an ear as a greeting to Minkpaw, who had padded up.

       "Otterpaw, your fur is a mess..." The yellow-eyed she-cat settled down next to her sister, beginning to groom the mussed up pelt.

"Do you know what we're doing today?" Otterpaw meowed between quick bites.

"We're supposed to go down to the river."

"The one over here by our camp or the creek that everyone calls a river?" Minkpaw asked, stopping her rhythmic strokes.

"The DrizzleClan/MarshClan border. It isn't far; I'm not sure why we're doing such a short walk today." Magpiepaw wrapped her tail around her paws. Otterpaw drew her paw over his whiskers, getting the last taste of her meal.

"Maybe we're hunting down there." She remarked.

"Ooh, I'll go tell Kitepaw. She loves when we go to the creek and river." Minkpaw got up, dashing away to the ferns that lined the small Mistletoe League camp where Kitepaw, Fernpaw, and Nettlepaw were playing mossball.

"Anyway, as I was saying, Yewpatch was there nearly ever day to help with our training. Isn't it Pinerock's duty to lead you guys?" The two looked over their shoulder as they heard quiet conversation of the mentors as the entered the small league camp. Pinerock was huge-- much bigger than Russetleap and Copperwing-- with a short, thick dusky brown tabby pelt. He had his head low so that he could mutter in Copperwing's ear, and she gave him a sour look.

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Otterpaw replied after a moment.

"Don't you ever just want to know?" Magpiepaw's sharp voice snapped the sleek apprentice back into focus.

"I mean... I guess..."

"Then why do you honestly think he isn't around? Seriously?"

"I suppose.. I mean-- I'm just.. Guessing.... That perhaps..," Magpiepaw nodded encouragingly, and Otterpaw continued on, "maybe he just doesn't want to be around us..?" The black-and-white she-cat gave some sort of a half smile.

"I thought so too." She murmured approvingly.

"Hey! Apprentices, listen up!" Pinerock called out, waving his tail. Otterpaw moved toward the tom, sitting so that she and the other apprentices formed a half-circle around him. The tortoiseshell Copperwing and dark reddish Russetleap sat to one side, and Otterpaw noticed how Copperwing glared Pinerock down. "I'm taking you all on a day trip down to the river border!" He announced.

After a moment of silence, his pelt started to prickle. "Aren't you guys excited? It's a break." He half-snarled. Lilacpaw shrugged,

"Copperwing takes us to the river all the time. If I wanted a break, I'd want to go to main camp and see my mother." The brown-gray she-cat muttered loud enough for all to hear. Otterpaw twitched her whiskers in agreement.

"You disrespectful-- If Copperwing is so great, she can stay behind and watch your selfish tail while you sit here in camp." Selfish, yeah, but does she really deserve to be kept here all day? She just said what we're all thinking-- probably...

"But that's not fair--" Lilacpaw started, only to be cut off by a tail flick from Pinerock.

"Alright, let's move out. Copperwing, do what I say for once and keep Lilacpaw in camp." Copperwing gave Pinerock an icy glare, sitting down next to Lilacpaw. Otterpaw stood up, moving slowly past.

"Wow, dramatic, huh?" Thymepaw padded up to the white-chested apprentice, who shoved her nose up, taking a quick step.

"You should be more considerate, she is your sister." Otterpaw shot him a quick glare before bounding ahead to catch up with Magpiepaw, who was keeping good pace just in front of Pinerock and just behind the three brothers, Fernpaw, Nettlepaw, and Bumblepaw.

      "What did Thymepaw ever do to you?" Magpiepaw glanced at her partner through the corner of her eye. Otterpaw flicked her thin tail.

      "He humiliated me." She murmured after a moment. Magpiepaw was quiet.

"He seems sorry.." She finally replied.

"If you were there you would understand." The brown tabby snapped. Magpiepaw flicked her tail sharply. The silence carried on, and Otterpaw looked back over her shoulder. Minkpaw, Kitepaw, and Thymepaw were all padding a few taillengths behind her, deep in a lighthearted conversation, and just behind them was Pinerock and Russetleap. She quickly looked away as she caught Thymepaw's eye, guilt setting in.

Otterpaw was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard a loud yowl. She looked over to Magpiepaw, who had also been snapped out of her thoughts.

"I think that was Bumblepaw..!" Magpiepaw meowed as she took off ahead. Otterpaw stopped for a moment, eyes wide, before racing after Magpiepaw. She skidded to a halt as she bounded into the open clearing that surrounded the riverbank, nearly choking on her own breath. Fernpaw was shouting loudly, his fur on end, Bumblepaw was frantically looking for support that was't his lazy brother, and Nettlepaw was pinned to the ground by a huge, angry, wet, snarling, dark brown otter.

Magpiepaw immediately leaped in, crashing ontop of the animal. With the knowledge that he had someone to help him, Bumblepaw then started biting at the animal's legs. The sleek creature rolled right over, smashing the thick furred Magpiepaw, grabbing her by the pelt, and launched her halfway-across the clearing. Bumblepaw backed up slowly, eyes huge. Otterpaw swallowed, still frozen to the spot. Minkpaw, Kitepaw, and Thymepaw arrived, followed by Pinerock and Russetleap.

"I'll go get Copperwing!" Kitepaw whispered, turning tail and racing away. Thymepaw leaped into battle, followed closely by Minkpaw. As Otterpaw watched her sister leap in, she finally moved.

Moved right past the fight and over to Magpiepaw.

"Magpiepaw, are you alright..?" She whispered, nosing the black-and-white she-cat. She let out a small noise, and Otterpaw noticed blood was dripping down from a patch of missing fur and deep teeth marks. "It'll be alright-- Pinerock is here.. He'll fight it off." She looked up, but her heart sank. The huge, muscled, brown tabby was sitting on a rock, intently watching the scene go down. Russetleap was nosing at Nettlepaw to see if he was alright.

As she watched Thymepaw be thrown off by a shake of the otter's entire body, she looked down at Magpiepaw again, heart racing.

"Fight." Magpiepaw whispered.

"I-I can't...!" She whispered back, shrinking down.

"You have to. Fight." Minkpaw fled the fight to the sidelines, blood dripping from multiple scratches and wounds.

"I-I'm scared.!" She whined, yellow-green eyes full.

"I guess we're all going to die then." The long-furred she-cat mumbled. Otterpaw was sure she was right, but as she looked up, she saw the white form of an oncoming Kitepaw and Copperwing. The tortoiseshell she-cat didn't wait a moment, leaping right ontop of the otter. It tried to roll, but she leaped off before it could, scoring her claws into it's belly as it did so. It let out a screech, getting even angrier, and swiping at her.

"It's not running away--" Otterpaw whispered. Magpiepaw's eyes widened slightly.

"Don't look, Otterpaw," she whispered quickly.

"What-- why--" her eyes widened, fur standing even more on end as she watched Copperwing leap on its back, biting deeply into its neck. A bit of blood shot out, and she heard Minkpaw let out a shocked gasp. It fell to the ground with a thud.

"You all did terrible." Pinerock growled, coming down from his perch after a moment, his eyes sweeping over all the apprentices. Copperwing had moved over to Nettlepaw, gently licking his cheek.

"They did just fine, you did terrible!" Copperwing moved away from the trembling apprentice. Her fur was puffed out, her tail lashing. "How could you just sit there while your apprentices were being mauled?!" She was a mouse tail from him. He flashed a paw out, scoring her muzzle.

"You're out of line, Copperwing. I'm in charge of the League, and I'm the only one making warriors out of them. While you coddle them, I see which ones are strong and which ones are weak. Which ones are worth it." Otterpaw flinched, trying to hide under the lump that was Magpiepaw as his eyes moved right to her.

"They're all worth it--" Copperwing tried to continue, but as Pinerock went to claw her muzzle again, she backed down.

"Obviously not. Congratulations, League. You get to go visit mommy and daddy when we go back to camp to get you all patched up." He turned tail, marching away. Otterpaw looked up to Copperwing, who was staring at the ground, blood dripping down her muzzle.

"Let's go," she whispered.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT

AN // I made a new story!! It's a character insert too so if you're interested *eyebrow waggle.* Its very heavily influenced by the readers, literally you decide everything. Just my present to you guys, thanks for sticking with me so long!