Dapplepaw carefully stepped out of camp. He was doing his best to avoid drawing attention to himself. He was relieved most cats ignored him.
Suddenly Cherryblossom, the Thunderclan medicine cat, bursted from the ferns as if a snapping turtle had caught her tail. She ran into the apprentice and the two stumbled, Cherryblossom did her best not to fall onto the smaller cat. They both made sounds of surprise, but Cherryblossom found her way without trampeling him.
Dapplepaw gasped and looked over at her, his panic gone but the effort of avoiding the taller cat still keeping his body energized.
Cherryblossom sighed and faced him.
"Sorry, I should have been paying more attention." She apologized. Dapplepaw smiled at her.
"It's alright..." He said awkwardly, not sure what to say in response. Cherryblossom nodded once and looked as if she was going to return to camp but she paused.
"Why are you outside the camp by yourself? Where is Coldeyes?"
Cherryblossom asked, as if she half expected the large tom to appear from the forest. Dapplepaw paused.
"Uh..." He said as he tried to think of something- anything- he could tell her. "He uh..." Just then, the large white mentor appeared from the bushes. Cherryblossom gasped in surprise, but sighed to calm herself once she recognized him. Coldeyes eyed her before looking down at Dapplepaw.
The situation before him became clear and he looked back up to Cherryblossom.
"I hope you're not holding up my apprentice, Cherryblossom." He said sternly. The medicine cat grew shy from him, his gaze and voice seemed to make her look frightened, but her tail curled in embarrassment. Dapplepaw gave a curious look to the medicine cat as he rose to stand beside Coldeyes. Ambercloud appeared from the bushes and quickly eyed Coldeyes and Cherryblossom.
The medicine cat began to retreat without even answering Coldeyes. Ambercloud sighed.
"I hope you didn't threaten her." The older she-cat said. Coldeyes passed his gaze to her.
"I have never threatened anyone. You of all cats should know that." Coldeyes replied, his voice a litttle softer then usual. Dapplepaw kept looking between the two everytime they talked. He looked at Ambercloud for her reply.
"I know... Cherryblossom's reaction just caught me off guard. She of all these cats actually likes you." Ambercloud said. Coldeyes narrowed his eyes, refusing to reply, as if he were offended by what she said. But, Dapplepaw couldn't tell how Coldeyes felt since he seemed to be in the same state of mind all the time.
Coldeyes and Dapplepaw watched as Ambercloud walked away. After she disappeared in the camp, Coldeyes nudged Dapplepaw.
"Come on. I will be teaching you today." He admitted. Dapplepaw exploded with excitment.
"Finally!" He cheered as Coldeyes lead him toward the training grounds. Coldeyes glanced at his apprentice a few times.
"I have a new idea." Coldeyes said after a while. Dapplepaw glanced up at him.
"What..?" He asked almost worried, as if Coldstar was going to change plans and not train him for today.
"You need to beat me there." Coldeyes announced, shattering Dapplepaw's doubts. Just as he said it Coldeyes took off sprinting and Dapplepaw followed after him in pursuit.
Who knew Coldeyes still had a sense of fun inside him?