[Fawn]

Skunkpaw
13 Moons. Apprentice in case it wasn't obvious. She-Cat. StoneClan.

        Would it be alright if she died right now? Because that seems like the only sensible option. Not like it would disgrace the Clan or anything. Skunkpaw's insides had been seized by two nimble little paws and knotted in several places, weighing her down with a sickening sensation of social anxiety. A battle. In front of all five Clans, her peers, and her Clanmates; it was nothing short of torture, and the proverbial honey on top had to be the fact that her opponent was none other than Ospreypaw. Gee, great. Because that's exactly who I wanted to fight against, out of this whole mousedung competition.

As Skunkpaw, a nervous, cranky ball of black and white fur and irritated energy made her way into the designated fighting area, she had half a mind to shoot a glare at Hawkstar for making her do this. Is this the part where they tell me I have to do this with only three paws? I don't think it's challenging enough yet. Why wasn't there a forfeit option? Seriously now. Skunkpaw had no trouble at all relinquishing the win in this battle for Ospreypaw – but she got the feeling that just sliding a victory over like an extra piece of freshkill would be somewhat offensive to not just him, but to Fallenleaf.

A flick of the tail, her fur half-bristled in the sunlight that warmed up her shoulder blades and the backs of her ears; I don't have any choice with this, do I. It wasn't really a question, and even if it had been, it couldn't be anything other than rhetorical. After Fallenleaf's accident, the relationship with mentor and apprentice had reached an all time high in terms of awkwardness – at least on Skunkpaw's side of things. She had been uncertain how to act around a cat who had been injured so severely – did she keep up a mournful tone? Did she say “I'm sorry that happened to you” more than once? Should she have resigned at Fallenleaf's mentor so she wouldn't be burdened with the inevitability of falling behind on their training? – but Fallenleaf had been the same she-cat she was before the tumble.

Just as Fallenleaf hadn't let go of her apprentice, Skunkpaw hadn't let go of Fallenleaf either. They'd stuck it out, the both of them; Skunkpaw hadn't cared if her warrior ceremony was late, it wasn't really a big deal if she became a warrior or not. But it mattered to Fallenleaf, and so would this battle competition. With that in mind, and with a dozen prayers to StarClan (some of which included a little bad language, she'd really have to remember to stop swearing when she got nervous), the fuzzy bi-colored feline pivoted on light, fast paws to face her littermate.

She couldn't even smile at him, she was so nervous. Deep breaths. Deeeeep breaths. Skunkpaw was faintly aware of the memory of Fallenleaf, resting (albeit painfully) in Ivywhisker's den, concentrating on her breathing – it was an important first step to dealing with physical and emotional pain or discomfort as well. Courage and high self esteem were not in Skunkpaw's arsenal of recognized personal traits, so that wasn't what she relied on this time. What propelled Skunkpaw forward in a surprising display of speed and agility, aiming to race by him and swipe at his back leg to disrupt his balance, was respect for the progress she and Fallenleaf had made in their individual struggles.
I'll do this for you, then. Sorry if I don't win, but you can see that I'm trying, right?

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Phoenix, BlooRey DVD