Rapidpaw sprinted down to the river. The grass swayed, long and graceful, looking like the mane of a Lionclan cat. She cautiously approached the bank. Her mentor, Willowshade, padded up to her. The sky was cloudless, but this was the calm after the storm. The river was still well above it's normal level, and it was full of life. Rapidpaw leaned over the flowing pebbled depths. Willowshade pulled her back. Rapidpaws' excitement faded.
"What did I do wrong?" She asked.
"You cast your shadow over the water." Her mentor smiled at her. "If you do that, all the fish swim away." Rapidpaw tried to imagine herself as a little minnow, seeing the big cat face loom over the water.
"So what do I do?"
"Stand here." Willowshade positioned her about five mouse-lengths away from the flowing water. She could still see the fish swimming about in the water, only little minnows and tadpoles though. None of the trout that the warriors brought back from their hunting expeditions.
But there was a shadow in the water, swimming into the weed just there. Rapidpaw could see that her mentor had also seen the shadow. Willowshade was perfectly still, one paw raised.
"I think I'll give you a demonstration." She whispered. The fish swam out of the patch of weed and Willowshade struck, impaling the fish on a claw, but it was falling off. Rapidpaw pounced into the water, sinking her paws into the fishes' side. She picked it up in her mouth, crushing It's neck. Then she laid her prize at her mentors paws. Willowshades' eyes were shining.
"Well done Rapidpaw." Willowshade nudged the fish over to her. "You take it."
Rapidpaw nudged it back. "No, you caught it."
Willowshade gave her a stern look. "Would you disobey your mentor? Anyway, If you hadn't pounced on it, it would have gotten away."
Rapidpaw again picked up the fish. She trotted back to camp, feeling excited. Sandpaw and Driftpaw would be so jealous. She held her head high as she walked back into Riverclan camp.