Spottedleaf's Heart/Chapter 6

Chapter Summary
Spottedpaw's PoV
 * Spottedpaw awakens, her pelt filthy and matted. Redpaw’s face appears above her, and he asks where she’s been. He comments that she stinks, and is covered in mud. With a jump, Spottedpaw opens her eyes and begins to remember fleeing from the Dark Forest. She fears that she’s still trapped there, and is only dreaming about being back in her nest. However, Redpaw leans over her again, and she relaxes. The tom questions again if she went out last night, and implores that she’d better clean up before Thrushpelt sees her. Spottedpaw sits up, the moss in her nest squelching. Willowpaw wrinkles her nose, saying that she’d better take care when cleaning up, so to not get herself sick. The tortoiseshell apprentice stands up and stretches, feeling her muscles ache. She feels tired, like she didn’t get any sleep, but pushes out of the apprentices’ den to clean up. However, Thrushpelt quickly spots her, and tells her that they are going on a border patrol with Adderfang. The warrior then seems to take a second look at Spottedpaw, instead saying that she should go clean up, then meet after sunhigh for training. She agrees, leaving out the gorse tunnel behind them.


 * Spottedpaw then ducks into some ferns to clean up, hoping no one will notice her. Her belly rumbles as she catches prey scent, reminding her to eat soon. She sees a hunting patrol coming closer, and lowers herself close to the ground. However, Thistleclaw sees the apprentice and offers to take her out training with Whitepaw and Tigerpaw. He says that he needs to take both out today, because Patchpelt ate a mouse with maggots in it. Thistleclaw hisses, calling the tom a bee-brain because he should’ve known better. Spottedpaw hesitantly agrees to go with them, and he leaves to bound back to camp. The tortoiseshell stays among the ferns, cleaning off her pelt. She gets mostly clean, and figures that  at least she doesn’t smell bad anymore.


 * Thistleclaw soon returns with the two following him, but Tigerpaw protests that Spottedpaw only just begun her training. His mentor silences the dark tabby’s protests, saying it’s always good to have a new training partner. The spiky warrior pairs Whitepaw and Tigerpaw against each other, saying Spottedpaw will fight the winner. The three apprentices race to the sandy hollow, with Tigerpaw easily winning. They then begin their training match, and Whitepaw manages to beat his competitor by flicking sand in his eyes. Thistleclaw summons Spottedpaw to fight Whitepaw, and she fares well. She almost gets stuck under her attacker, but manages to throw him off. Spottedpaw almost beats the white apprentice when Thistleclaw encourages her to aim for his eyes. However, that brings back memories from the Place of No Stars, and how Houndleap had howled for mercy when the spiky warrior had attacked him. She freezes, lunging sideways and letting her paws fall into the sand with a thud. Thistleclaw screeches at her, wondering why she stopped when so close to winning.


 * Spottedpaw flees in terror at the memory, running out of the hollow. Ferns and thorns lash her pelt but she doesn’t stop until she reaches the riverbank. She stares in the water, seeing her reflection. Spottedpaw freshens up, and pads back to camp with conflicting emotions. Later, she requests to talk to Thistleclaw when he’s standing near Highrock. They go out into the forest and he confronts her about what happened earlier that day. He praises that to almost beat Whitepaw, she must have learned a lot from their trip last night. She bleats that being in that Dark Forest is wrong, and knows now that she doesn’t want to fight like that. Spottedpaw explains that she didn’t want to beat Whitepaw with a move from there. The tortoiseshell says that he should stop going there, because those cats are evil. She also points out that he’s injured, and thinks of how Mapleshade cheers when blood is shed. Thistleclaw refuses to listen to Spottedpaw, saying that he must do it to keep his Clan safe. He then insists that he would do anything for her, the she-cat he loves. Spottedpaw hesitates, not knowing what to say due to her conflicting emotions. She thinks that she loves him, and hopes that he won’t let her down.