Chapter One

Fleetpaw was always an insufferable know-it-all, since she was Fleetkit and beyond; always telling her denmates the right way to suckle milk, or pounce, or walk, or yawn. She knew everything, and she wanted everyone to know it. She even corrected any training warrior in how to properly swipe the belly, or which way to swing their tail in a counter-attack. Not only did she know the theory, she practiced it, and she was good at it. This made the other cats in WindClan feel very inferior to the newly appointed apprentice. Still, a natural born fighter was always a blessing to struggling Clan.

One day, her mentor, Jumpfoot, was trying his best to advise her in her technique for hunting rabbits, she turned on him, questioning his technique for rabbit-hunting, and wondering aloud why his was better, and why she couldn't develop her own way of stalking, and who put you in charge of me and my bodily functions, anyway?

She was, as expected, pulling nits out of the elders' fur for a moon.

But she was even an expert at that, and when Jumpfoot announced that her punishment was up, the elders' whined and protested, "But she's so good at it! It doesn't hurt in the least bit, and besides, who are you to tell her she can't pull ticks?"

Jumpfoot gave a low growl in response to Fleetpaw's winning smile, and went to his leader, Gorsestar.

"Gorsestar, with all due respect-"he began, but his leader interrupted him.

"Don't say that. When cats say that, they are about to say something insulting. Just spit it out, why don't you," he advised.

Jumpfoot sighed. "I don't think you made the right choice giving Fleetpaw to me to mentor," he admitted.

Gorsestar snorted. "Of course I did. If I'd have given her to anyone else, she would be bleeding on the bottom of a ditch by now. You're so patient. No one else could be doing as good a job as you. Now, go take her on a patrol or something."

Jumpfoot left, grumbling, "She'll try to lead it. She'll just tell me 'not to forget to do this or that. Oh, and if you do this, you'll'-"

Gorsestar smiled.

Fleetpaw bounded ahead, sniffing the border cautiously.

"Jumpfoot, are we done here? I want to hunt some."

Jumpfoot sighed. "Fine. Wingflight, Honeyfur, we're going to hunt some. You can go back if you'd like."

The warriors dipped their heads and left. Fleetpaw held up a paw and sniffed the air. "Rabbit," she reported.

Crouching low, she let her tail rest softly on the ground, gently swaying with the slight breeze. She relaxed her shoulders and bent her head down. Her hind legs were bunched in such a position that by looking at them was the only way to tell that she was not asleep. The rabbit raised its head and its nose gave a slight twitch. It gave a short hop forward, and, the instant it landed on the ground, Fleetpaw shot forward, her kick-off lost under the noise of the rabbit's landing. The rabbit glanced up to see a cat barreling towards it, and she nipped its spine, causing it to go limp. She smiled, glancing up at her mentor, who gave a weak smile back.

She picked it up in her jaws and marched proudly home.