[liz]

[ #7 - pikejaw - shadowclan warrior ]

> @Fawnhearted toadstripe [ open for interaction ]

The tom had been calm, trotting along with his fellows after the massive cat that was their leader, getting gradually more interested the closer the group made it to the cliffs. This had to be some sort of great training session; as lackluster- probably closer to poor- as his skills in battle were, Pikejaw had no qualms with such a large session. Perhaps something more well organized would do him some good; the worst to come could be making a fool of himself, and at this point in the young tom’s life, being subpar didn’t bother him all that deeply. His best was all he could do, clanmate opinions weren’t worth enough to feel wretched about.
The tabby’s chipper train of thought continued, eyes eager and wide with interest as Dawnstar began to speak, slowly, from her perch over the crowd.
As slowly as the molly had walked the massive group, Pikejaw felt his excitement slowly soak into the forest floor below him as she spoke- perhaps out of fear, he knew the games would hurt him should the wrong cat be assigned, but moreso as a result of the warrior’s guilt. Being under the impression that he was doing his all, even if his all wasn’t great, the warrior had mistakenly assumed he fell under Dawnstar’s good- no, no, neutral graces. A strange combination of crushing and terrifying, the tom’s muzzle hung with shame before the molly had even finished her first sentence.
The ominous message sent prickles of worry down the tom’s spine, licking his protruding teeth repeatedly in an attempt to settle his nerves as he awaited his assignment. For a mere moment, the idea he could simply be here for the secondary group crossed the tabby’s mind, but as rapidly as Pikejaw himself could shut it down, knowing he had missed the battle, he heard his name called over the group. Anticipation wasn’t the word for it, not at all, but the cat wasted no time in padding away, looking for his clanmate. A fair fight, hopefully, one where he could show that even if he wasn’t the best, he was still look to climb the rungs back to being a decent member of the clan. Effort mattered more than the end result, especially if Dawnstar had no interest in wounds, right? This was simply a way to atone.