[TheNyanCatMinecart]

(TW: Mentions of abuse)

~ TWISTEDPAW OF WINDCLAN - AFAB SHE/HER ~

Small, skinny, black she-cat with a light gray belly and tail-tip, a crooked jaw, a mangled tail, and one blind eye.

Twistedpaw's nerves were slowly mounting. She could feel them swelling with each passing second, Dapplebreeze's gaze hot on her matted black pelt, searing her like the sun. She imagined invisible paws and tried to push the familiar feelings down. Not everyone hates you. Some might, but... you can't let it distract you from being a warrior, she asserted. Her bulging tail-tip twitched. She took a deep breath to calm her speeding heart and nearly winced at the whistling sound it made as it escaped her crooked jaw. She felt so... exposed.

The sound of pawsteps and a familiar scent immediately made the nervous apprentice relax. Turning her head, she found Brightpaw emerging from the apprentices' den, pelt slightly ruffled and a cheery greeting on her lips. Twistedpaw purred in response and leaned forward to give her foster sister a friendly nuzzle. "It's been a while!" she meowed. "I'm sorry we haven't talked much lately. How are you?" Twistedpaw's mind flashed back to what she'd heard about the mink attack, and her stomach gave a nervous flip. "Are you okay? Have your wounds healed?" Surely she was well enough for Dapplebreeze to train her, but still. She couldn't help her concern.

Batglare had been a part of that attack, too. She couldn't help feeling another twinge of anxiety - unrelated to Dapplebreeze's presence this time. I should make sure he's doing okay. No sooner had that thought occurred than his familiar scent reached her distorted nose. Twistedpaw turned quickly, crooked jaw swinging, and spotted his impressive figure and signature scowl making its way toward the group. "Batglare!" she exclaimed, hurrying forward. She almost crashed into him and moved to press into his pelt. He was so fluffy! "Are you okay? Do your wounds hurt?" She looked at his new scars with concern. They looked painful. More painful than when Willowsky nipped me, she thought with an inward shudder. One day, I'll have to face something like that... The thought made her nervous, but Twistedpaw knew she had to power through it for the sake of her Clan. Being a warrior was so important to her.

Dapplebreeze's warm voice made Twistedpaw turn. For a heartbeat, she felt a little embarrassed. Did she look silly? But the warrior's blue eyes were so soft, her tone so friendly. And there was no judgment. Only comfort. Like a heavy rain washing away the ashes from a fire, Twistedpaw felt her anxiety melt. A lopsided, albeit genuine, smile graced her face. She liked Dapplebreeze already.

As the white-and-cream she-cat began to walk away, Twistedpaw followed. She didn't feel like she needed an explanation. She trusted Dapplebreeze, and besides, Batglare and Brightpaw were here. She stayed close to her mentor and foster sister. Dapplebreeze was nice, yes, but she was more comfortable around them. "I'm so happy we're training together!" she purred to Brightpaw. "It's a nice day, too. My jaw and tail won't get all achy." Normally, Twistedpaw wouldn't outright mention this stuff around cats she wasn't very familiar with, but something about Dapplebreeze made her feel relaxed.

And, indeed, it was a very pleasant day. Even as they left camp and the breeze became stiffer, the warmth of the sun countered it, and the scents of heather and fresh grass made Twistedpaw inhale deeply. Heather was her favorite smell.

Twistedpaw glanced around, then lowered her voice as best she could. Two questions were eating away at her mind. One was borne of curiosity; the other held a twinge of pain. "Brightpaw..." she whispered. "Have... have you seen Fireflame lately? And... Dapplebreeze seems really nice... what's she like?"

They stopped somewhere on the moor. Dapplebreeze began to speak, and Twistedpaw fixed her gaze on the warrior, pricking her tiny ears intently. Practice? What are we practicing? she wondered, suddenly realizing that she didn't know why they were here. Her question was soon answered, however. I need to learn how to fight the minks. A shiver ran through her, but Twistedpaw suppressed it, nodding in response to Dapplebreeze's words. She was right. Twistedpaw did need to learn these things.

The mention of Brightpaw's encounter sent a thrill of concern through the black-and-light-gray apprentice. She'd heard about it, but... the thought that her mentor and foster sister might've been killed made her feel sick. I don't know what I'd do without them. Especially without Fireflame... She swallowed hard. A trickle of drool squeezed out from the corner of her mouth.

Past is past, however. We can try and wallow in misery over what has happened, or rise above it. Learn from it and become stronger for the next adversity.

Dapplebreeze's words were like a stone. They settled in Twistedpaw's brain and sank through the gray matter as if it were river water. Something deep within her stirred. She couldn't help staring at Dapplebreeze.

Hadn't that been her entire life leading up to this point? Overcoming adversity? From her mother's abuse to Flutteringkit's bullying to her own insecurities... her whole life had been a battle. But Twistedpaw knew what really mattered now. And she could work through it.

She'd gotten over a mental battle. Now she needed to learn how to overcome a physical one.

Questions. Twistedpaw took a deep breath. Yes, there were some things she wanted to say. And she knew she shouldn't be afraid to say them. Glancing at Batglare, she stepped forward and looked at Dapplebreeze. Surprisingly, she didn't stutter as much as usual.

"W-well... I have a few if you don't mind..." It was an effort to hold the warrior's gaze. Twistedpaw shifted on her paws. Focus. "I don't have much b-battle training... I know how to jump on an opponent's back and cling on and j-jump off before they roll... th-that's it." A flood of embarrassment washed over her, but she tried to remain focused.

"That move works, b-but... there are some that w-won't work for me. It's harder f-for me to bite things... w-well, I can do it from a certain angle, but it's tough, and this tooth-" she indicated to the big one hanging out from the side "-can get t-tangled easily. And m-my tail... B-batglare's been great. He's taught me how to work with it. But it's still a b-bit unbalancing and hurts a lot if it's c-crushed. But it also p-protects my back. D-do you have any adv-vice for... for s-someone like me?"

Laying out all her... issues made Twistedpaw's stomach roil. It felt like she was admitting how messed up she was. However, everyone had told her she could become a warrior. There were ways for her to fight. And she was going to learn them.

One other thing popped into her mind. "S-sorry if I'm b-being disruptive... but... how bad do wounds feel? In battle? I mean, I kn-know what it's like to get hurt. My mom - Willowsky -" It almost felt wrong calling her "mom." Willowsky had never wanted to be Twistedpaw's mother. Fireflame had. "W-well, when I was a kit, very young, she nipped me in the scruff when I did something she d-didn't like." Twistedpaw quickly ducked her head to show the faded bite mark scars on the back of her neck. Her jaw dangled. She felt her cheeks burn slightly.

Lifting her head back up, she continued, "W-willowsky also clawed my sides and broke a bit of my tail before sh-she was e-exiled... s-so I know pain, but... is it..." She tried to find the right words. All the while, the burn in her cheeks spread to the rest of her pelt. She felt like a fool. "It r-really hurt... b-but you can't stop on a b-battlefield, can you? Then you'd get even more hurt. H-how do you deal with it? And... what's it like? Does pain feel any different? Like, on a battlefield?"

@Alchemist Kitsune @Moonraven @MockingRabbit (Have fun with Twistedpaw's trauma)