leave.the.light.on

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Fury pricked at Lizzardpaw's paws as she walked into camp. Ryepaw and Eelpaw had pretty much abandoned her in the forest, after Ferretpaw went chasing after that loner. The calico she-cat sighed, shaking her now wet fur after walking for hours in the rain. Clouded yellow eyes were narrowed with anger. Why had Ferretpaw gone chasing after Ghost? Why had Eelpaw and Ryepaw just chased after her? Had they forgotten that it would be near impossible for Lizzardpaw to manage walking back to camp in the rain? Growling to herself, Lizzardpaw sat down in the center of the clearing. Her tongue rasped over her damp fur, trying to dry herself off. The calico kept her ears pricked, listening for the sounds of any Clanmates. Most likely they were all taking shelter in their dens, trying to avoid the rain.

A cold drop of rain landed on Lizzardpaw's nose. She grimaced, shaking the droplet off. Lizzardpaw ruffled her fur, for it was plastered against her body. The naturally small she-cat appeared two times smaller then she actually was. Lizzardpaw quickly took notice of the rain's lessening force, not relaxing until it stopped completely. She let out a relieved sigh, knowing now that more cats would be exiting their dens. Again her ears pricked, feeling hopeful. Her ears flattened in disappointment, however, when no sounds reached her ears. Oh well. Most cats were probably drying off or out hunting. Lizzardpaw felt a small stab of lonelyness. Her stomach growled, and Lizzardpaw moved over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a small robin. Hungrily she began to eat the bird, not stopping until she heard the sound of pawsteps behind her.

Milky yellow eyes turned as Lizzardpaw tasted the air. However, due to the rain it was hard to pick out the scent. The calico femme flicked her tail in greeting, waiting to hear the newcomer's voice.

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[Blackie]

Wet leaves and pine needles tossed into the air behind the racing gray paws. The apprentice's lonng fur was slicked back, the ends sticking out in tufts as they were dried by the self-made breeze. Her ears lay flat against her head, bronzy eyes squinting against the weather.

Mouse-brain! How could you just leve her?

Ryepaw had been so furious with Lizzardpaw for chasing Ghost. It hadn't been the 'GET-OFF-MY-LAND!-chase, either. It had been the let-me-be-your-fwiend-chase. Offended, Ryepaw had tried to stop her. The gray cat despised trespassers, and the fact that one of her Clanmates had tried to make friends with a loner sent hot claws to her heart. Then Eelpaw had stopped her.

Ryepaw skidded to a halt in front of the camp entrance and pushed her way through more slowly. She flicked her tail to the cat on gaurd who glared at her in return from under rain-soaked brows. Ryepaw shook out her fluffy coat. A pang pricked at her stomach. Food was essential. Ryepaw took a skip toward the fresh-kill pile, and paused. The calico apprentice she had left behind was already there.

Ryepaw gulped. She hadn't meant to leave Lizzardpaw behind, but she had been on a mission to rid her territory of intruders. When she had come back, after a fight with Eelpaw, Ryepaw had returned to find Lizzardpaw gone. Taking a deep breath, the gray she-cat walked carefully to her blind friend.

"Lizzardpaw?"

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw's eyes narrowed. It was Ryepaw. She heard her careful, cautious words. To Lizzardpaw it seemed like she was sorry, but Lizzardpaw still felt angry. She was angry that her friend had left her. Then again, why should she feel angry? She was always complaining about how she wanted others to treat her normally. A normal cat could easily find their way back to camp. Why couldn't she? A frown appeared on Lizzardpaw's face, and she returned her attention to the robin that lay at her paws. She felt cold claws grip her stomach, and she turned her head away for a moment. Lizzardpaw hated being mean to Ryepaw, she was pretty much her only friend in ShadowClan. Lizzardpaw knew very well that if she kept pushing her away she'd most likely lose her, like she'd lost her sister all those moons ago.

Her eyes finally returned to Ryepaw, well, at least where she thought Ryepaw stood. Though she tried to keep her eyes cold, there was still a bit of hurt flickering in their yellow depths. The calico femme nodded to Ryepaw, trying to pick out what to say. "Oh, hi Ryepaw," Lizzardpaw said, voice not coming out as cold as she'd hoped. Oh stop it, unless you want to lose your only friend. Lizzardpaw inwardly scolded herself digging her claws into the ground with frustration.

{{sorry, braindead}}

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[Blackie]

"Hi,"

Ryepaw returned the greeting in an uncertian voice. She was nervous. Though Lizzardpaw was her friend, Ryepaw hadn't learned all her moods yet and wasn't sure what would motivate her to change her mood. If she said the wrong thing, she could lose Lizzardpaw. She would still have Ghostpaw, but she wanted Lizzardpaw too. Besides, Ghostpaw was a tom and wouldn't be able to have an understanding of Ryepaw as she and Lizzardpaw could have if their relationship grew. More than anything, Ryepaw wanted to make her mother happy, but Cinderstripe was dead. An empty hole urged Ryepaw to make someone else happy, someone who could praise her when she suceeded and stand beside her when she failed. Ryepaw wanted Lizzardpaw to be that cat.

"Look," she mewed, sitting down by the calico and wrapping her tail around her paws. "I'm sorry I left you. I wasn't really thinking. I wanted Ghost to leave, and I didn't want Ferretpaw to go with him. It's dangerous, meddling with outsiders. Some of them are very untrustworthy, and it's better to just avoid them. Anyway, please don't be mad. I'm really sorry."

The gray/gold eyes fixed themselves on the other apprentice. Ryepaw couldn't push back the pleading they dripped. Even though Lizzardpaw couldn't see her, Ryepaw wanted her to understand how much she was needed. Lizzardpaw may not have been able to see physically, but any cat can explore an open heart. And as a friend, Ryepaw's was wide open, begging Lizzardpaw's forgiveness.

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Milky yellow eyes lost their angry look for a moment. This was a time when Lizzardpaw's personality clashed with itself. She always remained loyal to her friends, no matter what, but she had always been a sharp-tongued and cruel cat at times. The femme listened to Ryepaw's words, getting more and more angry at herself for sulking like a kit. Immediately she tried to redeem herself, sitting up straighter and speaking with more strength.

"I didn't need you there, as you can see I found it back to camp just fine on my own," she muttered, lashing her tail. Immediately she regretted her words. She looked away, furious with herself for being furious with Ryepaw. Most likely, Lizzardpaw would've done the same thing. If not, then it would've at least been similar. She knew for a fact that she wouldn't want Ryepaw angry at her, just for doing her duties as a Clan cat. Milky yellow eyes returned to Ryepaw, nodding silently. "You did what you had to do, a Clanmate could've been in danger. Who knows what Ghost would do to Ferretpaw. Once he realized he was alone, he could've attacked her or something." Claws returned to their sheathes as Lizzardpaw continued. "You did the right thing, don't be sorry about that."

There. She hadn't exactly said she'd forgiven Ryepaw, but she hadn't said she was angry. Wouldn't that be enough? Probably not. Lizzardpaw sighed again, taking another bite out of her robin. "Anyway, it's done now. What happened, happened. Nothing like this is something I'd hold a grudge about."

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[Blackie]

"I didn't need you there, as you can see I found it back to camp just fine on my own,"

Ryepaw couldn't help the angry rush that filled her chest. Of course Lizzardpaw didn't need her. She was fully aware that, though blind, the calico could take care of herself. Ryepaw wanted to snap a mean retort, but she kept it in and let Lizzardpaw continue.

"You did what you had to do, a Clanmate could've been in danger. Who knows what Ghost would do to Ferretpaw. Once he realized he was alone, he could've attacked her or something. You did the right thing, don't be sorry about that. Anyway, it's done now. What happened, happened. Nothing like this is something I'd hold a grudge about."

Ryepaw studied Lizzardpaw hard. What was she feeling? There was no doubt the blind calico was a little proud, and Ryepaw knew not to push her. At least Lizzardpaw had accpted the apology. What's happened, happened. But the future hasn't happened yet, and I have a chance to make the happening better than the happened.

"Lizzardpaw?" Ryepaw began, trying to regain her normal friendly voice. "We should do a lot more together, I think. Will you teach me what it's like to be blind like you? I mean, it's normal for you but not for me. I think it would fun for us to teach each other things, though I'm not sure what I would teach you in return."

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw's calico fur flattened, and her claws sheathed. Finally a smile returned to her face. She hadn't had to swallow her pride, and Ryepaw was still her friend. Lizzardpaw quickly got to her paws, nodding at Ryepaw's request. However, confusion still lingered in her eyes. What did Ryepaw mean, teach her what it was like to be blind? There wasn't really much to teach, after all it wasn't exactly a choice to be blind. Lizzardpaw shrugged her scrawny shoulders. "Well, I guess I could. There's not much I could teach you though." Immediately her posture straightened, almost like a mentor training an apprentice.

"I wasn't always blind, you know," she mewed. "So I've seen before. I was thinking that maybe if I showed you what it was like to be blind, you could..." she trailed off, feeling a bit embarresed about the request. It made her feel so helpless, but she mewed it out anyway. "Well, I was hoping you could describe cats to me? Like, fur color and stuff. That way I can at least picture what all of you look like when you talk to me." Lizzardpaw smiled. "It's weird, I know. I just can't help but feel curious."

Lizzardpaw sighed. This felt worse then swallowing her pride. She'd just admitted a secret she'd had for awhile. Ever since she'd lost her sight, she'd wanted to badly for someone to describe whoever they met to her. She hated feeling clueless. But her pride that she'd held even as a kit hadn't left her. Voicing out her wonders made her feel weak. They made her feel useless.

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[Blackie]

"Well, I guess I could. There's not much I could teach you though." Immediately her posture straightened, almost like a mentor training an apprentice.

"I wasn't always blind, you know," she mewed. "So I've seen before. I was thinking that maybe if I showed you what it was like to be blind, you could... Well, I was hoping you could describe cats to me? Like, fur color and stuff. That way I can at least picture what all of you look like when you talk to me. It's weird, I know. I just can't help but feel curious."

"It's not wierd!" Ryepaw assured her, happiness welling inside and threatening to over flow. "I would want the same thing, and I'd love to describe things to you. Anytime, just ask."

The gray apprentice's gray eyes glittered. She had her friend back, and she would be content with it if the world ended right then. She felt honored that Lizzardpaw, as independent as she was, would ask Ryepaw for help. It wasn't really help, Ryepaw corrected herself. Or mabye it was? She didn't know, but knew enough not to beat on Lizzardpaw's self-esteem. She'd play as Lizzardpaw's extra eyes.

"When I asked if you would teach me what being blind is like, I meant would you tell me how you do things? Like, how do you hunt and fight and stuff? Do your other senses really help you?"

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw grinned. "Thanks, Ryepaw," she mewed happily. Ryepaw didn't seem to consider her weak because of her request. Relief flooded through Lizzardpaw's body, for she had expected Ryepaw to laugh at her. To Lizzardpaw it was an odd request, and she would've most likely laughed if someone had asked her to describe something they couldn't see. Knowing that Ryepaw had her back made Lizzardpaw feel a lot better.

"Since you asked, I'll show you what I know," Lizzardpaw mewed. She paused, thinking for a moment before continuing. "Hunting is difficult for me, since I can't see the stances for certain prey, so until I get a mentor we'll skip that part." That left fighting. Lizzardpaw ran all her strategies through her mind, muttering to herself occasionally as she thought. It felt good to know that someone was so interested with Lizzardpaw's blindness, and she didn't want to screw it up.

"Fighting isn't really as hard as you'd think," Lizzardpaw continued, looking back at Ryepaw. "Since I'm blind, my other senses are kind of advanced. I can hear, smell, and feel better then most cats. Normally when fighting I use my sense of hearing and sense of feeling. Trust me, though, it takes a lot of practice. You need to pay attention. Your ears always need to remain pricked so you can hear your opponent when they lunge, because they'll usually stir up debris as they leave the ground. Once you move out of the way, rely on your pawpads to feel them hit the ground. Once you feel them land, don't hesitate, just lunge as quickly as you can." She paused, taking a breath. It was probably really confusing, so she nodded to Blackpaw. "Here, attack me, I'll try and show you an example."

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[Blackie]

Ryepaw tilted her head to the side, trying to pick up everything she could understand without drowning out the confusing parts. Inwardly, Ryepaw couldn't help thinking that being blind must be one of the most difficult and frustrating things a cat had to cope with.

"Here, attack me, I'll try and show you an example."

"Um, okay."

Unsure of herself, Ryepaw stood up. She was a little nervous and felt slightly overwhelmed. She was nervous because she wasn't sure if Lizzardpaw knew something she didn't. She was overwhelmed because she was realizing that she had just tried to comprehend something that wasn't meant for her. She wasn't blind, and the confusing fighting method wasn't going to be taught to her. Still, Ryepaw wanted to know for Lizzardpaw's sake. She wanted to understand.

Pacing around the calico, Ryepaw's brain began to click through opening moves. Better jump her from behind. Gathering speed in her paws, Ryepaw skipped around so she was facing Lizzardpaw's back. She landed neatly on her toes. Light paws were one good trait her father had passed to her. Then, doing her best to keep her attack fast-paced, Ryepaw aimed for the calico back and leaped.

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw tensed, shutting out all sounds and listening to Ryepaw's cautious, pacing steps. The calico femme had forgotten how light Ryepaw could be on her paws, and immediately cursed quietly. This could turn out to be more complicated then she thought. Her ears remained pricked, her paws placed firmly on the ground. The light sound of Ryepaw's steps stopped. Lizzardpaw could barely feel her presence behind her. She felt slightly nervous. It would be awful if she screwed up, for she hadn't practiced in awhile. More then anything Lizzardpaw wanted to prove that she was just as good as anyone. Messing this up would put that plan on hold.

The dust stirred, signalling to Lizzardpaw that Ryepaw had indeed lunged for her. Moving quickly Lizzardpaw ducked, just barely feeling Ryepaw's paws graze across her back as she shot over her. Remembering what she had told Ryepaw, Lizzardpaw didn't hesitate and shot back to her paws, lunging for Ryepaw with one quick and agile movement.

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[Blackie]

"Mmmfff!"

The fluffy cat's paws hit the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. Don't get frutrated! she warned her self, glaring at her paws. That always happens! Just expect it next time! The mini-lecture to about half a second, and Ryepaw was whirling around. She had to spread out her forelegs and move her tail to keep her balance. With another puff of dust, she landed and looked up.

A shocked eep managed to squeaze through her mouth as Ryepaw's eyes flew wide. All she could see was a calico blur coming toward her, and then her vision was blocked by Lizzardpaw's body landing into her. Sharp pain hit her nose and snaked it's way to her brain. A small, pin-prick throbbing formed above her eye. Move! her mind screeched.

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw grinned with satisfaction, her plan had worked! She felt a burst of pride shoot through her, for she felt as if she'd just proved herself to the whole Clan. If she kept this fighting move, she'd become a worthy opponent in battle. Lizzardpaw purred, gently stepping off Ryepaw and smiling down at her. "What do ya think?" she mewed. "That's how the blind cats prove themselves."

Lizzardpaw took notice of Ryepaw's nose buried into the ground, noting that her friend wasn't moving. Lizzardpaw felt a cold stab of fear, eyes widening slightly. She couldn't hear Ryepaw getting up, if she was getting up. Her voice rising, Lizzardpaw repeated Ryepaw's name. "Ryepaw? Ryepaw? Are you alright?"

{{Sorry so short, not much I can post really.}}

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[Blackie]

"Ryepaw? Ryepaw? Are you alright?"

"Headache," the gray cat moaned, then sneezed. Another jolt of pain coursed through her body. "Don't worry," she mewed, lifting her head and rubbing at the throb in her eye. "You haven't killed me yet."

She purred warmly, looking up at Lizzardpaw. The calico was quick, no matter how light footed Ryepaw was. The way Lizzardpaw had faught, you could barely tell she was blind. and with proper warrior training she'd become a worthy opponent for any cat! Just imagine what she'd be like if she hadn't lost her sight!

"That was really great, Lizzardpaw!" Ryepaw meowed, lifting herslef up on shaky paws. "And it was fun! Just, next time, I'll remember to watch you and not my paws."

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw frowned, only half-listening to Ryepaw's praise. She could feel Ryepaw getting shakily to her paws, and had already heard her moan about her headache. Something was wrong. It didn't take a million lectures from Ashpaw to show when someone was sick or hurt. Concern filled Lizzardpaw's milky yellow gaze as she walked over to her friend. Had she hurt Ryepaw? If she had, Lizzardpaw knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself. She never wanted to hurt her only friend. A terrifying thought suddenly entered her mind. What if she'd injured Ryepaw enough to blind her? It had only taken one hard blow to the head to shove Lizzardpaw into eternal darkness...

"You're not okay," she mewed. "Ryepaw, I really think I should take you to Shrewspots. I could feel you with my paws as you got up; you're shaking." Wanting desperately to convince her friend, Lizzardpaw nudged her toward the direction of the medicine cat den. "Please?"

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[Blackie]

"No really, I'm fine!" Ryepaw purred and touched her muzzle to Lizzardpaw's. "You're just over-reacting. After shock, it's all that was."

She ignored the receding throbbing for Lizzardpaw's sake. She was obviously worried, and Ryepaw didn't want her to be. It felt good though, knowing she had a friend who would insist on checking her over for wounds. Lizzardpaw had a kind heart, no matter how proud she was. Right now, Ryepaw was proud to call her her friend.

Cinderstripe had had so many doubts about her daughter's life as a Clan cat, but she had refused to give up. Ryepaw's dream as to keep going and being her best for her mother's sake. Having a friend made that easier, and somehow fulfilled that dream too. That was what Cinderstripe had wanted. For Ryepaw to appear to the Clan as a cat worthy of their loyalty. And Ryepaw knew that meant she had to give them her loyalty first.

"I'm fine," Ryepaw mewed again. "Just a tiny headache."

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw nodded her head, though she was barely listening. Half-heartedly she touched muzzles with Ryepaw, for her mind was still somewhere else. Something had to be wrong. Though Lizzardpaw hoped she was wrong, she knew it was usually really hard for her to be wrong about this. Her sister had been a medicine cat apprentice, for StarClan's sake! Ashpaw had always described illnesses to Lizzardpaw, even as kits. Even though usually she'd ignore her sister and pretend to listen, Lizzardpaw had occasionally paid attention. Her concern for her friend had only grown when she realized that, if Ryepaw was hurt, what she was sick or hurt with was probably something she'd ignored when Ashpaw tried to explain it.

"You're sure?" she mewed. "Maybe we should just take it easy, even if it's just a little headache. How about a try to explain hunting to you?"

Without waiting for a reply, Lizzardpaw walked back toward the fresh-kill pile, waving her tail for Ryepaw to follow. She'd make Ryepaw listen, whether she wanted to or not. Casually she sat down beside the pile of game, waiting patiently for her friend to join her. Something was wrong, and Lizzardpaw didn't want to push it. But if she did push it, maybe she could convince Ryepaw to see the medicine cat? It was risky, but if worse came to worse that was what Lizzardpaw would try. The nagging feeling that something was wrong just wouldn't leave her mind.

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[Blackie]

"But I'm really fine!" Ryepaw mewed, following Lizzardpaw to the fresh kill pile. "The headache's already going away! Look, I'll let you check me over, okay?"

The gray apprentice sat down close to the other cat. She relaxed, lowering her head and offering herself up for an inspection. What was Lizzardpaw so worried about? "Just talk while you look." Ryepaw mewed, her whiskers twitching with amusement. "I don't want to get bored just sitting here."

Her bronze eyes looked up into the milky ones of Lizzardpaw. It was sad that she couldn't see, but lucky for her that all her other sense were so much more alert than an average cat's. "Can you tell me how you went blind?"

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw placed a paw on Ryepaw's head, feeling for any sort of throbbing that could indicate something was wrong. She felt nothing. A puzzled look appeared on her face. She had been so certain something was wrong... However, she was more then relieved that she was wrong. Lizzardpaw didn't want Ryepaw hurt in any way. For once in her life, Lizzardpaw was glad she was wrong. Ryepaw was fine. The calico femme couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, placing her paw back on the ground. "You're alright," she mewed. "I guess you were right, I must've been overreacting."

She smiled, but it immediately faded at Ryepaw's question. Tell her how she went blind? Though it was a rather long time ago, Lizzardpaw remembered it clearly. The calico nodded, replaying the day all those moons ago in her mind. "I guess, I mean, it happened a long time ago," she mewed. "I was a kit, about three moons old, and I had snuck out of camp with my little sister Ashpaw, then Ashkit. We were near one of the borders and found this huge rock. I wanted to play on it, like it was HighRock and I was leader of a Clan. I'd finally climbed to the top, but Ashkit kept calling for me to come down. She was my little sister, so I listened since I didn't want to worry her. While I was climbing down I slipped, and tumbled down the whole rock. When I landed I hit my head and fell unconscious." She turned her milky eyes to Ryepaw. "When I woke up again I couldn't see."

Lizzardpaw stared at Ryepaw, listening intently for a reaction.

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[Blackie]

Ryepaw looked up at her friend again, listening to the story. It was sad, that a kit's game would be the cause of such loss. I suppose that's why kits aren't supposed to leave camp without someone to watch them. But Lizzardpaw was still strong, and proved herself stronger by persevering through her blindness. Could Ryepaw cope with not being able to see? She wasn't sure, and didn't think she'd do as well as Lizzardpaw did now.

"I'm sorry your blind." Ryepaw mewed honestly. "There's so much to see that you can't share with other cats, but you have things we don't have. You can hear much better than other cats, and smell better, and I can't even feel vibrations! That's really amazing!"

Lizzardpaw may have been offended by Ryepaw's pity, but Ryepaw wasn't thinking about that. Some things were never considered by the gray apprentice.

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw frowned slightly at the pity heard in Ryepaw's voice. If there was one thing she hated more then anything, it was someone pitying her because of her blindness. It annoyed her like nothing else. The calico femme couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at Ryepaw's words. Casually she shrugged, eyes moving toward the scent of the fresh-kill pile. "I don't need pity. Trust me, I know what I can and can't do, and I've accepted it." She hadn't meant for her words to come out harsh, but they did hold a bit of coldness in them. She sighed, eyes moving back to Ryepaw. "You really can't imagine how awful it is, to feel everyone watching you with their seeing eyes, to feel their gazes of pity. I hate pity. It's pointless, it won't change anything. If anything it's just annoying. They don't expect anything from you when you're blind, they just think you're weak." Lizzardpaw glared at her paws.

"Did you hear Ghost, the loner, after he asked what I wanted to prove? He found out I was blind, after all that time we were talking, it took only one good look to see my sightless eyes. You know what he did when he found out? He laughed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world." Lizzardpaw let out a sigh. She unsheathed her claws, frustrated with herself and with everyone else. It wasn't fair! Every single cat out there pitied her. Everyone except for Ashpaw. Her sister had respected her, had looked up to her even when she found out she was blind. And now she was gone.

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[Blackie]

Ryepaw hated defending the loner, she absolutely hated it. Silently, she vowed if she ever saw him again she'd shread him first and ask questions when he was dead.

"Mabye Ghost wasn't laughing at your eyes, mabye he was laughing at himself. You know, for being so mouse-brained that he hadn't noticed you were blind? I'd laugh at myself, too."

The gray cat's paws scuffed the ground around her, making a tiny dust cloud. She couldn't blame Lizzardpaw for getting upset when a cat sympathized with her. It would be pretty frustrating if you were trying to make the best of something and someone else kept telling you how poor you were. Like me being half-Clan. I would hate if cats treated me differently for having a rogue father.

"Sorry, if I upset you." Ryepaw mewed, pawing a starling from the pile of bodies. "I was thinking out loud. Your blindness doesn't set you back, though. You're much better than I am at fighting." Ryepaw's eyes glittered with a half-hearted smile. "I've always been a better hunter. I take after my father that way." Unfortunatly.

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw shrugged. "Maybe he was," she mewed. "Or maybe he was laughing because I was blind, and laughing at himself for wasting time with some blind cat like me." Lizzardpaw looked over at Ryepaw. "I don't really care what that mousebrained loner thinks though, after all why should I? It's just the fact that he laughed. I don't know why it bugs me so much." Why did it bug her so much? Lizzardpaw knew that it shouldn't matter that one loner laughed at her, or himself, or whatever! She mentally slapped herself. She was getting all worked up over nothing. Sighing listened to Ryepaw's next words, shrugging yet again.

"You didn't upset me," she mewed. "And trust me, I'm not much better then you when it comes to fighting. I got lucky that time. If you were a warrior I most likely would've found myself falling flat on my face." Lizzardpaw listened to Ryepaw's words of hunting, noticing a bit of something else in her words. Was it anger? Annoyance? "Well, I'll probably never be all that great at hunting until someone teaches me the stances better. I need a good mentor, one who can explain things to me without showing me exactly." She paused, looking back at Ryepaw. "It almost sounded like you said being a better hunter was a bad thing. Why? Bad experience with hunting?"

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[Blackie]

"I love hunting," Ryepaw murmered, her gaze moving to far away memories. "I'm really good at it . . . So was my father." The fluffy gray tail did a little flip. Stoat was not a cat she wanted to be like. "My father was a thief. He could steal anything and never got caught. when he met my mother and they had me, my mother chose me and the Clan over Stoat and rogue life. He left and no one's seen him since."

Her eyes flashed with anger. He was a traitor and a rogue, two things Ryepaw hated with passion and without mercy. He left her mother to raise Ryepaw in a Clan that might have been hostile to her. Stoat had been jealous of ShadowClan and Cinderstripe's choice, but he had never loved his mate. Not enough to help her and do what was right for all three of them.

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[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Lizzardpaw felt a stab of anger toward this rogue, Stoat, as Ryepaw described him. How could any cat just abandon their family completely? It was horrid, monsterous. The calico femme felt grateful for having her whole family, always there for her even in death. Well, maybe they weren't all dead... Immediately she shook thoughts of Ashpaw away. For now she would focus on Ryepaw. No sense living in the past now, was there? It was time to move on to the future.

"If that's true, then this Stoat cat was even more blind then I am," Lizzardpaw growled, lashing her tail. "He's a piece of foxdung to abandon his family like that. Clearly he didn't see the wonderful things he had." Furious at the tom for hurting her friend, Lizzardpaw found herself digging her claws into the ground. If she ever ran into that cat she'd shred him to bits. No, first she'd demand he tell her why he abandonded Ryepaw and her mother, then she'd shred him to bits.

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