When they got to the Flat Sands, Lightdawn and Peonypaw split off from the group to explore the territory. Petalblaze and Orcamask, Ivyshade and Pearpaw, and Plumpaw and Mangopaw formed pairs.

"I'll demonstrate the move," Petalblaze said. "This one is called the Sand Kick. You have to leap into the air, leap behind them, kick sand into the air, then slide under their body to trip them up. Remember, this move is usually used on rogues who are much bigger than you. This move can be paired with the Back Kick or the Belly Rake. Be careful to only kick sand so your opponent has been clouded. If you aren't careful, you can cloud your own eyes, or a clanmate's nearby."

Petalblaze looked at Orcamask. "I will do the move, claws sheathed." She crouched and leapt over the deputy, kicking her in the back as she went. She sprayed sand behind her, then slid under Orcamask, causing her to trip and stumble. "Normally, I would leap over my opponent entirely. However, in the event that you'll be fighting a bigger cat, using their head or back to leap again is preferred. No, Pearpaw, Plumpaw, try the move on your opponent."

Pearpaw crouched, feeling the sand beneath her, and soared into the air. She kicked up a pile of sand, accidentally flinging it into her own eyes, too. She crouched down and pushed under Ivyshade, pawing her belly as she scooted under.

Ivyshade shook her head, clearing her eyes of sand. They both looked over at Plumpaw and Mangopaw. The brown tabby managed to slide under his sister, but she was smaller than him and he couldn't get out from under her.

Mangopaw sighed and tumbled off of Plumpaw. "It's a lot harder when you're small," she said gloomily. Plumpaw nudged her.

"At least you'll be more protected! And, you can slide under other cats better. Try it on me!"

Ivyshade looked at Pearpaw, then at Petalblaze. "Petablaze, should we switch now?" She asked. At a nod from the warrior, she crouched down low and leapt up in a soaring arc. She flung up a cloud of sand.

Pearpaw rubbed her eyes, turning. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but she didn't know where left and right were anymore. She buckled as a dark shape flung into her, diving between her front and back legs. Pearpaw felt paws graze her belly, as sand settled in her pelt and Ivyshade reappeared in front of her.

"That was amazing!" Ivyshade said, shaking her paws. She tilted her head up and stifled a giggle.

Pearpaw laughed as Orcamask called, "Keep on working on the move! We'll watch you, then you can show your form. We'll spar after."

The younger cats cheered. Sparring was the best apprentice activity they had, since attack forms were boring. In ancient times, TideClan had ceremonies with sparring, but not anymore.

Pearpaw and Ivyshade continued to work on the Sand Kick as Petalblaze corrected them. "Keep your paws steady as you kick in the sand," she instructed as Pearpaw slipped midway through the move. "Leap higher! You're bigger than her, so when a larger opponent comes you can clear them easier," she called.

It was about sunhigh when Peonypaw and Lightdawn returned. Peonypaw looked delighted, head high and tail raised. She immediately ran over to Plumpaw and Mangopaw. Pearpaw could hear her excited voice as she leapt into the air above Ivyshade again.

"--and we saw the border and the Fishing Cove! And the crab place--" Pearpaw landed messily, but regained her footing and kicked up sand in the air.

"Okay, finish this move then line up. Let's do our attack forms," Petalblaze said. The littermates and Ivyshade lined up. "Plumpaw, Twilightstar. Pearpaw, you're next."

Plumpaw walked up in front of the other apprentices. He crouched down and leapt up, clawing the air. He then turned to the side, lashing out his paws. Pearpaw zoned out as Plumpaw finished the form.

"Pearpaw, you're next. Dolphinwave."

She padded over and rolled onto her back. She then powered up and flipped onto her legs, and crept forward, leaping up onto an imaginary cat. Pearpaw scratched the "opponent"'s back and legs, then padded back to the line.

Ivyshade and Mangopaw did their forms as Peonypaw watched in awe. "I'll have to learn that?" She breathed. Orcamask nodded.

Mangopaw was bouncing on her paws in excitement. "Will we spar now?" She asked.

"Get ready, Pearpaw and Plumpaw. You're sparring first," Petalblaze said.

Pearpaw stretched her back paws and padded to the middle of the group. Plumpaw joined her."Claws sheathed. Get ready, set..."

Pearpaw's muscles tensed.

"Go!"

Plumpaw leapt at his sister, paws reaching towards her neck. She was forced onto her back as Plumpaw loomed above her. She slowly relaxed, panting. Then, she pushed herself up, getting Plumpaw off her.

Pearpaw then batted her paws out at Plumpaw's eyes, who recoiled. She then darted around him and tipped onto her back, kicking his legs from under him. Plumpaw stumbled and turned around to "claw" at Pearpaw's face.

Pearpaw leapt into the air and landed on Plumpaw's back, managing to grab on with her paws. He shook her off, pinning her down by the shoulders.

"Good round," Petalblaze said. Pearpaw and Plumpaw dipped their heads at one another, and they moved to stand next to the others. Petalblaze looked into the sky. "It's time to go."

Mangopaw sighed. "Yes, Petalblaze." She swept her tail around.

Petalblaze seemed to hear the disappointment in her apprentice's voice. "We'll spar first thing tomorrow," she said encouragingly. "You can go first."

When they got home, Pearpaw and Ivyshade each took a small trout from the prey pile. They sat down to eat near the apprentice's hollow.

"Do you think you'll ever become deputy?" Ivyshade asked.

Pearpaw mulled over the question, then shook her head. "Probably not."

"Are you sure?" Ivyshade asked. "I thought that was always your dream. I thought it was every apprentice's dream." She looked embarrassed and fiddled with the tail fin of her fish.

"It would be nice to be leader, I suppose. But it seems like so much work! How will you have time for your family and friends if you're busy with clan duties all the time?" Pearpaw took a bite of her fish. It was too tough for her liking and it took longer for her to chew and swallow it.

"It'll be okay," Ivyshade replied, although she sounded unsure. "Orcamask would want me to follow in her pawsteps. I think..." her voice trailed off.

Pearpaw knew what Ivyshade was thinking about. her father, Gullheart, had died in a storm, like the one that happened a few days ago. "Gullheart would be proud, too," she said softly. Ivyshade scowled and her tail flicked back and forth.

"Orcamask doesn't have any time to talk to me anymore," Ivyshade muttered. "I mean, she was never the motherly type of cat...but being deputy doesn't help, does it?" She took a slow bite out of her fish, staring at the sky.

Pearpaw rested her tail on her friend's gray and orange back. "She can help you achieve your dreams," she said. "After all, who else would a leader pick for deputy other than her own kit?"Ivyshade momentarily purred, before sighing.

"What do you think about the Changing Skies?" Pearpaw said, trying to change the subject.Ivyshade twisted her ears around. "The Changing Skies?" she said.

"What do you mean?" Pearpaw asked, pausing midway between bending down to take a bite of her fish.

"Huh?" Ivyshade squinted her eyes, looking more bewildered than before.

They shared a moment of mutual confusion, before bursting into laughing trills.

"The cats who attacked us?" Ivyshade questioned, after calming down. Pearpaw nodded, and she continued. "I don't like them, but something is missing. Why would they attack us for no reason? Did Shorestar offend him while she escorted him to the border?"

Pearpaw shook her head. "I heard why," she murmured. "It doesn't explain much, but it's enough."

Ivyshade nodded, inviting Pearpaw to go on.

"Well, the cat who k...killed Duskblossom is the lord of their tribe. And he's like the head fighter. He's been...influenced, I guess, by the former leader. I don't get it either, but Shorestar understands."

Ivyshade looked surprised. "Oh, wow," she breathed.

"I hope we won't have to fight them. We probably won't, since greenleaf is almost over and they're going to move territories."

Ivyshade made a noise of acknowledgement, but didn't say anything for a while.

They spent some time in silence, finishing their prey and bringing the bones to the Dirt. They walked out of camp, a silent agreement between them. They walked past the Flat Sands to the Grass Patch, slipping down into the tunnels and beginning to walk.

"Do you think Shorestar will die soon?" Ivyshade asked. "She's about as old as Mistgaze, and he retired."

Pearpaw looked at Ivyshade, a part of her face illuminated in the dusk light. "I mean-- do you think we should talk about that?"

The calico's ears twisted around. "I think we should," she said slowly. "If our wisest cat joins SunClan anytime soon, we'll lose the maybe-war. There are so many young cats in the clan; if Shorestar dies our most senior warrior will be Petalblaze. And I don't know if I want to see those days."

Pearpaw thought of the impulsive warrior and silently agreed. "What are you trying to say?" She asked.

"We have to be more mature, I guess. If the younger warriors and the new apprentices start something stupid, we can stop them. Orcamask is one cat. Driftreed, Cloudwish, and Ripple'eye are only so powerful."

Ivyshade's words made sense to Pearpaw, but she didn't respond. Only until they reached the tunnel with the underground stream she spoke.

"What if they don't listen? We're younger than most of them anyway." Pearpaw sat down by the stream and dipped her front paws in, then her back paws.

Ivyshade looked solemn as she responded. "We can't have a disordered clan. TideClan would fall the moment Shorestar died."

When her companion didn't reply, Ivyshade walked up to her.

"TideClan's safety is the most important, more than any individual cat. We need to be willing to suffer for our clan."

⊹˚︵‿₊˚ʚ🌿ɞ˚₊‿︵˚⊹

this chapter is focused on pearpaw's and ivyshade's friendship. it's definitely- uh, revealing? but not really? stuff will make sense later. i hope-

sorry for not writing in...20 days or so qwq

~do you think ivy's the antagonist? the last half certainly shows that, but anything can change.

~any predictions?

~ivyshade might achieve her ambitions later on, what do you think?

published: 07.19.21

edited: 08.02.21

word count: 1779