Redpaw stalked through the forest, her amber eyes fixed on the fluffy tail of a squirrel. She was so close, yet so far! The six moon old apprentice quivered in anticipation, watching for a moment as her quarry nibbled at a nut. At first, she forgot about her quest. The next, the ginger apprentice had jerked suddenly, and the squirrel fled as fast as the wind.

Jerking awake, Redpaw stared around her den, panting heavily. The ginger she-cat scrambled to her feet, trotting outside. A squirrel was on top of the fresh-kill pile and she shivered, darting over to where Leafbreeze stood. Leafbreeze, her mentor, glanced at her as she approached.

"Anything wrong?" Leafbreeze asked, her light brown tabby fur neatly groomed.

Hesitating, Redpaw glanced at her own ruffled ginger fur and sighed. "Can we train?" she asked.

Nodding, Leafbreeze led her out of camp. They raced towards the training hollow, Redpaw gasping for breath but Leafbreeze barely needing to breathe. There was no doubt that Redpaw was a new apprentice.

One day that would change.

Suddenly, Redpaw skidded to a halt. There! A squirrel! Just like in her dream! The ginger apprentice dropped into a sloppy crouched, padding towards the squirrel. In a heartbeat it was racing away, leaving the apprentice to swipe at the grass, frustrated.

"I'm a mouse brain!" she snapped, something clicking inside of her. "I was too noisy!"

Leafbreeze was long gone, she remembered. Redpaw glanced around, butterflies in her belly, then shrugged. She would teach herself and have a squirrel by the time Leafbreeze returned to look for her!

Scenting the air, the sweet scent of vole filled her mouth. Redpaw hurried into the shadows, dropping into another crouch. Quietly this time, she headed towards the vole, ears pricked.

She froze as the vole twitched and scurried over in the direction of an ivy stem.

Thinking wildly, Redpaw crouched and made a wild leap for the vole. She landed awkwardly on her side with her paws splayed out. The vole was gone, and the ginger apprentice let out an angry snarl before scrambling to her feet.

"Be patient," she ordered herself, slipping into another shadow.

Redpaw watched the area in front of her silently, focused entirely on finding prey. It seems like seasons had passed before a mouse dared venture across the patch of ground she was watching.

Flying out of the shadows, Redpaw landed on her prey and nipped it sharply. The mouse squeaked and fell limp.

Triumph blazed through the ginger she-cat, and she purred. Leafbreeze stepped happily out of the shadows, startling the apprentice, but she soon recovered. "Look! I caught a mouse!"

"I know!" Leafbreeze purred. "I'm so proud of you! Now how about a hunting lesson?"

Redpaw nodded, still purring, and dropped into another crouch. Her mentor dropped into one as well, except her posture different. "Try it how I'm doing it," Leafbreeze rumbled, and the ginger apprentice nodded, shifting...