The Runt That Gets Nothing

Rude (Chapter 5)

The next day was the first day of training and Hollowpaw couldn't decide if she was excited or terified.

Yes, she was training with the leader which is AMAZING, but it just made her stomach turn more. It was one thing if she messed up for a regular mentor like Nightpaw had, but with a mentor who was the LEADER, if she flubbed up–which she knew she would–it would be worst because it was in front of the clan's LEADER. She slunk over to Hollystar's den only to be greeted with an excited black she-cat.

"Are you ready?" She asked excitedly. Holloweyes nodded slowly. "Great! To the Elders den!" "W-what?" But she was already leading her to the den.

Hollowpaw shuddered as she pulled a fat, ugly tick off of an elder's back. "Why am I doing this again?" She asked, trying not to wretch.

"Because it's important." Hollystar answered, sharing tongues with a black she-cat. The she-cat was actually the sister of the elder Hollowpaw was cleaning at the moment. (The one at top) 

Deciding that tick clraning was gross and she was bored, she decided to talk to the elder.

"Soooo..." She began. "You're Pipsqueak, right?" The elder hissed, letting out a squeak that helped decide his name. "Yeah, so?" He snarled. "I thought you were here to get rid of pests, not be one." 

Hollowpaw winced. Ouch. 

Why couldn't she get a nicer elder like Sweettongue, the elder Hollystar was with. Instead she got this tiny, cranky, bigeared fox-heart. 

She didnt dare say anything, though, since elders were supposed to be respected and treated well. Still, why couldn't he be nicer to her?

She moved onto a group of three siblings with the names of Scampheart, Maytail, and Horridfang. 

Horridfang was also pretty rude, but thankfully she didnt have to clean him since he, to quote exactly, "Wouldn't let a meddling apprentice touch me with that StarClan-forsaken stick, let alone the runt of the clan."

So instead she just cleaned the other, much calmer siblings.

Scampheart was the oldest and weakest of the bunch. He was white with random, small spots sptinkled about. He has lots of fur, and if Hollowpaw didn't have to reach past it, she would never of know that he was actually quite skinny. 

Maytail, and the other paw, was much different, with shorter fur, a rounder body, and much shorter legs. She had brown fur with darker tabby stripes. 

They thanked her graciously as she left. (Except for Pipsqueak and Horridfang, of course)

"So, did you learn anything?" Hollystar asked as they left.

"No." Hollowpaw answered. 

"Huh. Really? You didnt talk to any of the elders?" Hollystar hummed.

"Well, yeah." She thought of the conversations she had with Scampheart and Maytail. She couldn't recall anything but gossip and stories. She had listened and remembered them well, she just didnt think anything of them.

"Tell me what you learned, Hollowpaw." She meowed. 

So as the padded along, Hollowpaw told her of all the things she had "learned" from the elders.