I rocked back on my haunches preparing to leap and catch a thrush. It pecked the ground unaware of my presence. 'Muahahaha that's right bird keep your tiny bird brain focused on…whatever birds eat.' I thought as I rose my rump shaking it back and forth.
Just as I was about to jump on it a flash of orange fur ran by and the thrush was gone. I stood up and flattened my ears in annoyance. "Hey pal I had that!" I yowled. Then a fox appeared behind a tree carrying the thrush between her jaws. "Oh cleo." I meowed flattening my fur and pricking up my ears. "Sorry." She mumbled. "I have to stock up for winter." She dropped the thrush at my paws.
"Nah I can catch my own prey for leaf bare." I meowed pushing the thrush back towards the fox. "She sat back on her haunches and licked her paws. "Starrywater!" I turned to see blackpaw stumbling towards me with a squirrel as big as he was in his jaws. "I'll leave so he won't attack me or anything." Cleo whispered as she picked up the thrush and disappeared into the undergrowth. Blackpaw stumbled up to me and dropped the squirrel at my paws panting. "Very good blackpaw." I meowed approvingly. "Maybe tigerstar will choose me to go to the gathering tonight if I show him what a good hunter I am." The young tom boasted as I picked up the squirrel.
We turned and headed in the direction of where I had caught a mouse and a vole earlier. "When are we going to train in combat moves again?" Blackpaw looked up at me hopefully. "Well I'm supposed to go on the sunhigh patrol once we get back to camp so… I could ask littlefish if you can come along." I meowed looking up in thought. We stopped at the patch of ferns where I had hidden the prey I had caught. I motioned with my tail for blackpaw to get the prey. He bounded into the bush and snatched the two pelts of prey. He came back and dropped them at my paws. I looked at him questioningly. "I want to carry the squirrel." He meowed simply. I dropped the squirrel at his paws smiling as he eagerly snatched its neck in his mouth. I picked up the mouse and vole and we started to walk to camp.
Prey was becoming scarce now that leaf fall was approaching so the clan is stocking up on prey in the freshkill pile and sending out more hunting patrols. Some of the leaves on the trees were already turning different shades of color. "Hi starrywater, blackpaw." I looked down from the trees and saw flowerpaw carrying a bundle of herbs on her jaws. "Hi flowerpaw how's the new training?" I mumbled through the prey in my mouth. "It's a little harder remembering all the herbs but I'm adjusting." She meowed as she walked besides me back to camp. "So you're the oldest apprentice now." I meowed cheerfully. "Only by a few moons." I heard blackpaw mutter as he adjusted his grip on the squirrel.
I cuffed him behind his ear. "Ow!" He exclaimed dropping the squirrel. "Learn a little respect how many times do I have to tell you that? You only became an apprentice yesterday." I meowed as he picked up the squirrel. "Talk like that again and I'll tell tigerstar not to bring you to the gathering. "Yes starrywater." He meowed bowing his head. "You sure know how to handle that apprentice." Flowerpaw commented as blackpaw padded cheerily up to bush and sniffed it. "He'll be a good warrior but he needs to know his place sometimes." I meowed as I watched my apprentice practice a few fighting moves on a bush.
We could see some cats sitting outside the bramble tunnel as we approached the camp. It was the sunhigh patrol. Blackpaw stood up and pranced proudly towards the showing off his prize catch to the cats. One of them was his sister leafpaw who ran over to see the squirrel he had caught. "That squirrel is pretty big nice catch blackpaw." Sunwhisker congratulated the black tom. "It was his first catch." I meowed as me and flowerpaw approached the group of cats. "Impressive blackpaw." Littlefish meowed. "So when are you going to be ready starrywater?" She asked looking up at me. "I just have to drop off they freshkill into the freshkill pile and I'll be right out." I meowed. "Littlefish can I go on the patrol too?" Blackpaw asked. Littlefish examined blackpaw for a moment. "Sure why not?" She meowed.
"Go give the squirrel to the elders." I meowed to the black apprentice. "Yes starrywater." He meowed. He raced past me into the tunnel. I turned to follow him. "Well I'll see you later starrywater." Flowerpaw meowed as we walked into camp. "Yeah bye." I meowed dropping the prey into the freshkill pile. I walked back out of the tunnel to see the whole patrol (including blackpaw) waiting for me. "We'll go west and make our way around the island and then head to highrocks." Littlefish meowed to us. We nodded and started to walk.