Cinderpaw stared at her mentor, ready to reotort.
"Im telling you, you can't under any permission besides mine or the leaders go anywhere near the Thunderpath!" yowled Fireheart, making sure she didn't go anywhere near the cold, hard, gray, deadly path.
"Okay." said Cinderpaw. "I will never step foot near the Thunderpath." she agreed.
"Good." said Fireheart dipping his head. Cinderpaw stared into his eyes falling into a trance as they glinted green in the sunlight. She loved him, and no one knew it. Fireheart touched muzzles with her, as she drank in his warm scent. His fur was warm, it made her paws tingle.
"Now, lets go hunting!" said Fireheart enthusiastically. Cinderpaw just nodded, afraid if she tried to speak she'd choke on her words. The sun was bright today, which always made Fireheart look more gorgeous than ever. The two raced into the woods deeper, Cinderpaw's nose catching the scent of prey.
"Stop!" she mewed, as Fireheart whipped his head around.
"What?" he asked.
"I smell prey." she said, rapidly dropping to the hunters crouch. Fireheart watched her intently as she stalked up onto a clueless squirrel. She caught it with one swipe of a paw and bight to the neck. She brought it over to Fireheart, dropping it in front of him, puffing out her chest proudly.
Then, a thought crossed Cinderpaw's mind. "Why didn't you urge Bluestar to go see Tigerclaw at the Thunderpath?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Because, I don't trust Tigerclaw." Fireheart by accidentally spilled. For some reason he trusted Cinderpaw with his assumption.
"Oh, nor do I." she said.
"Really?" asked Fireheart.
"Yea, he's a bit shady." she mewed meekly, eyes widening as if she was picturing the tom-cat doing something terrible.
"Well, I'm glad someone that isn't Ravenpaw agrees." he sighed, remembering his old friend, who chose a different path. One to keep him safe..
"Yep, I err... obviously don't talk about it though." she mewed, scanning the forest around looking for signs of the deputy.
"Well, all our jabbing probably scared away all the prey, so lets look for some catmint for Bluestar." Fireheart suggested, abruptly changing the subject.
"Alright!" said the excited apprentice.
After giving the catmint to Yellowfang, Fireheart walked over to the fresh-kill pile, picking up a sparrow as it hung limply in his jaws. He approached Cinderpaw, dropping it at her feet.
"I'm not that hungry, do you want to share this?" he asked.
"Sure!" said Cinderpaw. As the two ate, Yellowfang walked over to them, her head low and her haunches like little valley hills.
"Have you seen Sandpaw?" she asked when she got to the two Cats feasting on the sparrow.
"Not lately, why?" asked Fireheart with a swallow.
"Because, I'm impressed how much her attitude is improved, and I believe she'd make a good medicine cat. I want to ask her if she would like to become my apprentice, I'm getting old and worried I will not have a replacement if I'm gone." sighed the medicine cat.
"Well, if I find her, I'll let you know. Check the apprentices den." said Fireheart, taking in another bight as he finished.
"Alright, see you two later." said Yellowfang as she stalked away.
"See you later." meowed Cinderpaw.
"Hm, Sandpaw as medicine cat, can you see that?" asked Fireheart curiously.
"Not easily." said Cinderpaw with a giggle.
As Cinderpaw and Fireheart set out for the dawn patrol, he spotted Sandpaw and Yellowfang by the medicine cat den talking with each other. Yellowfang had just finished her statement when Sandpaw turned her head looking at Fireheart for a long moment. Her head fell as she looked back up the the medicine cat nodding her head. Yellowfang nodded back gratefully, beckoning her inside as she walked into her den. Sandpaw followed.
Cinderpaw leapt ahead, looking back at Fireheart. "Come on!" she yowled.
"Alright!" yowled Fireheart back rolling his eyes. Cinderpaw sure was spritely.
He dashed ahead, catching up to his apprentice to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. Laying eyes off her for two seconds could cause trouble.
Cinderpaw sat, tail swishing anxiously as she watched a bird soaring circles in the air.
"Come on, land already!" she meowed, tail swishing faster and more irritably now. Fireheart was about to open his mouth when the bird flapped rapidly, pulling up, landing on the ground silently.
It pecked at the ground as Cinderpaw crouched down, creeping up on it slowly. As she got closer, she leapt into the air, landing on the bird. She wrestled with in, struggling to get its neck in a good position for a killing bight. But the bird wouldn't stop fidgeting. But, when she fought she had a good chance, she bit down, as her teeth clenched the bird wing. But it wash't hard enough, and the bird then flew away.
"Ugh!" she mewed. "That mouse-brained bird." she hissed irritated.
"It's okay, not everyone catches everything." Fireheart mewed comfortingly, brushing his tail on Cinderpaws flank.
When they got back the moon the fully in the sky, Cinderpaw didn't have the power to eat. She turned to Fireheart.
"Goodnight." she said with a yawn.
"Not hungry?" he asked curiously.
"Yes, just tired." she mewed turning around.
"Goodnight." said Fireheart as she stalked away to the den.
"Goodnight." mewed Cinderpaw as she walked to the den. When she got there, she curled up, falling asleep soundly. All she could think about was her mentor she was deeply in love with.