THEN WHAT IS, THIS FEELING | patchpaw

[Cloudyfur]

The stillness of the camp felt too loud. Moments ago, everything had been loud and panicked. The voices of her clanmates had mixed with the barking of the mutt in the air, drowning out everything else. Amidst all that chaos, she had barely been able to hear her own thoughts. The whole event was little more than a blur in her mind.

Now, her own breathing felt too loud.

Berryheart had already taken in the most grievously injured for treatment, and the rest of the clan had set about their duties now that the danger had passed. Meanwhile, Cloudypaw just sat inside the apprentice den with her tail wrapped around herself for comfort. She tried very hard not to think of the slobbering jaws that had almost caught her. Never in her life had she thought she would be that close to such massive, sharpy teeth. That close to death. For a moment, she had been convinced she would share Emberstar's fate.

Cloudypaw still felt dully surprised that she was alive. She blinked. Now that her adrenaline was begging to ebb, she was just starting to feel the sting of her scratches and bruises from her tumble, alongside the dull ache of exhaustion. Her tail wound itself tighter around her.​

 

[Patchpaw [in.]]

THERE'S A WORLD THAT WAS MEANT FOR OUR EYES TO SEE​

---

"Cloudypaw?"

The calico's head pokes into the apprentice's den, worried orange eyes shining in the dim light inside. Her forearm was raised off the ground to keep her from putting weight on it, cobwebs and moss wrapped tightly around the worst of the bite. Her fur had been cleaned, though, as there was no longer any blood staining her once-soft white fur.
While Berryheart was preoccupied with other more severe injuries, Patchpaw had taken her chance to slink off, if not disappearing altogether from anywhere nearby the medicine cat's den. In truth, the expression on Cloudypaw's face seconds before Patchpaw had charged the dog had not escaped her notice, and with the apprentice's fluffy figure nowhere in sight, she had quickly grown concerned for her wellbeing.

She couldn't blame the poor gal for it, though; having a dog's gaping jaws lunge towards you is no laughing matter, and Patchpaw only knew too well the dreadful claws of terror. Now standing with her head poking inside the den, she finally found Cloudypaw, but it took every last bit of energy Patchpaw had just to limp over and unsteadily sit down next to her.
"I, uh... I wanted to come and find you, see if you were alright. You put up a pretty good fight against that dog back there, you know--I thought you were pretty brave." At the compliment, Patchpaw gives her a fatigued yet warm smile. She, too, was exhausted from the dog fight, but for once, she was simply grateful everyone came out alive and she internally thanks StarClan for it.​

 

[Cloudyfur]

Cloudypaw blinked at the sound of her own name, glancing toward the entrance of the den. Her gaze met Patchpaw's.

With a start, she remembered to return the greeting. "Oh. Um, hi." The silence after she spoke felt a little too long. As she looked at the injuries Patchpaw had earned in defense of her, the guilt in her stomach only built. She wanted to say more, to thank one of the cats who had saved her life, but she couldn't find the words. Everything she thought to say was too small for what Patchpaw had done for her. Instead, Cloudypaw just sat awkwardly as the other apprentice limped over to her, wincing in sympathy at every labored step,

Patchpaw spoke before she could. Complimenting her. Cloudypaw looked at her in surprise. "Huh?" Was all she could manage for a moment. It just didn't make any sense. "I- Patchpaw you saved my life." She blurted out. The moment she had finally just said it, a flood of words followed. "I didn't know what I was doing out there. I was so scared that I couldn't even think. It all happened so fast, and eventually I just froze, and if it wasn't for you-" She stopped herself. She took a breath. "Thank you." Cloudypaw said quietly, looking down at her paws.

In her mind's eye, Cloudypaw could still see Patchpaw flying through the air, slamming the whole of her body into the dog's neck. That had been what knocked it off course moments before its jaws had snapped shut. That had been what saved Cloudypaw's life.

Those were the actions of a true warrior. Patchpaw was the one who deserved praise, not her.​

 

[Patchpaw [in.]]

THERE'S A WORLD THAT WAS MEANT FOR OUR EYES TO SEE​

---

"You fought a dog, Cloudypaw!" Patchpaw suddenly nudges Cloudypaw's chin up with her nose, grinning at her. "Dude, we fought dogs together! I think you deserve at least some of the credit," she teases with a grin. While she certainly remembered charging into the literal face of heart-stopping terror, she also remembered running into camp hot on Rabbitnose's heels to find multiple other apprentices attacking the dog, Cloudypaw herself hanging onto the dog's tail, and it's this memory Patchpaw reminds her about.

"A dog isn't something we've ever prepared for in our lives. You wanna know a secret, too?" Patchpaw leans in, dropping her voice to a jesting hush as she mutters to Cloudypaw, "Wildpaw was just as scared as you were! Or at least, as far as I could tell from the look on his face before I jumped."
With a giggle, she pulls back again and lets her voice return to its normal lively tone. "My point is, you did great, Cloudypaw. You should be proud of yourself, too!"

It was noticeable how she was hardly affected by the awkward silence--in fact, since coming in Patchpaw never felt awkward at all! If anything, Patchpaw concerned herself over Cloudypaw's insistence to downplay her own efforts. She had every right to be proud of herself--fighting a dog was no laughing matter, and Cloudypaw was more than worthy of praise!​

 

[Cloudyfur]

Cloudypaw's heart skipped a beat as she felt Patchpaw nose up her chin until their gazes met. She hadn't expected it. As she stared into the other apprentice's eyes, listening to all the reassurance and praise being heaped onto her, she couldn't help but blush. "I-I mean-" She stammered, flustered, as she attempted to muster a protest. In the face of such earnest kindness though, she couldn't.

Even outside the battle, Patchpaw acted like a true warrior. Even nursing injuries far worse than any Cloudypaw had, she had found her way out to attempt to drag her out of her funk through sheer enthusiasm. In her whole life, Cloudypaw had never known a cat like this. Her own little personal hero.

Too many feelings welled up inside her for her to know what to do with. It was overwhelming in the best way possible.

"Thanks." Was all she could manage to softly say. That was the least she could do.​

 

[Patchpaw [in.]]

THERE'S A WORLD THAT WAS MEANT FOR OUR EYES TO SEE​

---

"I promise you, once I'm free of these injuries we're gonna train harder than ever!" Patchpaw struggles to her feet for a second, balancing precariously on her one good leg, before straightening her head up and puffing out her chest like an eagle proud of its catch. "We're gonna be the best warriors ThunderClan’s ever seen, and I’ll prove it! We’ve fought dogs—what else can we take now?"

She grins, one tiny fang poking out over her lip. She was so strangely enthusiastic about these dogs—while most other cats were terrified, and rightfully so, something in her was encouraging this strength, even as the prickle of fear edges the back of Patchpaw’s mind like a dog’s foul breath.
It was kind of funny, seeing Cloudypaw so nervous about it… Was she really that embarrassed about it…? She deserves so much more recognition than this!

"I guess sometimes it just takes a bit of courage, you know? And hey! Once I’m free of this wound, I can train with you! How’s it sound?"​

 

[Cloudyfur]

"Ah, be careful..." Cloudypaw warned, watching with concern as the other molly balanced on her one good leg. Even though she assumed Berryheart had deemed Patchpaw well enough to be out and about, it was terrifying watching her push herself so soon after her injury. The last thing Cloudypaw wanted was to see her get hurt again.

All she could do was stare in wonder though as Patchpaw boldly proclaimed that the two of them would be the best warriors the clan had ever seen. For a moment, Cloudypaw couldn't help but believe her. It was hard to argue with the sheer conviction in her tone. How could a molly so brave and bright fail in anything she set out to do?

Looking at Patchpaw's grin, she felt warm and safe.

The offer of training together finally got Cloudypaw to find her voice. She knew she could use the help. More than that though, she specifically liked the idea of training with Patchpaw.

"Uh, yeah!" Cloudypaw agreed with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. Though she couldn't quite match Patchpaw's energy, she tried to. "That would be great, thanks."​

 

[Patchpaw [in.]]

THERE'S A WORLD THAT WAS MEANT FOR OUR EYES TO SEE​

---

"Fantastic! I’ll just—wuaaAAH—" Her leg wobbled beneath her, unbalanced by this shifted weight, and after trying to hop without placing her foot down for the extra balance, it had finally crumbled. Patchpaw crashes to the floor with a soft thud in the moss with her injured leg tucked between her body and the ground, and the pain ricocheting up into her shoulder was nothing short of a blaze, forcing a yell of agony out of her. She struggles to sit up, yelping and hissing in pain, before she props her elbow against the floor and rolls herself into a crouch—leaving her bad leg sprawled awkwardly out to the side. The pain, however, continues to throb up into her muscles, and Patchpaw shoves her nose against the wound to apply some kind of relieving pressure until the pulsating feeling weakens and dies off.

There’s no way you could train now, Patchpaw muses, staring down at the webbed bandages. Anyone could pick you off like a crow on the thunderpath. Another thought flashes through her mind, and her heart sinks into her stomach at the memory before she shakes her head and forces a laugh out.
"Maybe we should wait until I’m a bit better, though…" Patchpaw lightheartedly jokes, glancing over at Cloudypaw with an apologetic smile full of certain embarrassment. "I don’t mind, though—it gives me something to look forward to. But you better sharpen your claws, ‘cause I’ll be comin’ after you when I’m free!" Patchpaw laughs, soon regaining much of her spunky enthusiasm. She was always an expressive little whirlwind.​