Chapter Two: Training
The next morning, Bloodpaw woke to see sunlight streaming through the forest pines and the air around him no longer smelled like milk. With a sudden jolt of realization, Bloodpaw thought: Oh, yea. It's my first day as an apprentice. Sighing heavily, Bloodpaw got to his paws a groomed a little before going out into the main clearing. He wasn't sure if he should get prey or not, for the Clan must be fed first, so he sat on the edge of the clearing and watched the camp as it slowly sprang to life. He saw his sister, Snowpaw, coming out from the medicine cat den followed by Pineleaf.
He didn't expect Soulstar to take him training on his first day for two reasons: One, most cats thought that he was blood thirsty because of his name and appearance, and maybe that wouldn't encourage Soulstar to train him quicker; two, because Soulstar was the leader and had many other responsibilities.
Even when other cats began to get prey, Bloodpaw didn't. He wasn't to follow the rules as much as he could so that he wouldn't be looked upon in a bad way—not that he wasn't already. Still, it would help if he just laid low. If he didn't do anything, then he couldn't be breaking rules.
The sun rose a bit higher in the sky, and Bloodpaw was surprised when he saw Soulstar coming over to him. Was Soulstar coming over to him? Bloodpaw glanced around quickly before looking forward again.
"Good morning, Bloodpaw," the orange tabby greeted. "Are you ready for training?"
"Good morning, Soulstar," Bloodpaw replied, trying his best to be polite. "Should I eat first?"
"Of course," Soulstar informed him. "Now, hurry up, because we're going to go training with Crescentfrost and Sunpaw." Soulstar flicked his tail and padded away to his den, a hollowed out log. Bloodpaw got to his paws, happy to have gotten the approval of his leader, and made his way to the fresh kill pile. His stomach growled softly with hunger, but Bloodpaw didn't quicken his pace.
When he got a small mouse from the pile, he sat down and began to eat. He took small bites, so he wouldn't look vicious, and kept his eyes on his food. He had almost finished when he heard paw steps coming up behind him. Bloodpaw still kept his eyes on the half-finished mouse, in case the cat wasn't coming to him. Then, he felt a paw poke his back. He flicked his head around to see Sunpaw staring at him with wide blue eyes.
"Guess who?" she said cheerfully.
"Oh, hi, Sunpaw," Bloodpaw mewed, trying not to sound too enthusiastic, yet not too dull either.
"What's the matter?" she asked, cocking her head slightly to the side.
"Nothing," he meowed, pricking his ears.
"You're going training later, right?" she asked, hope flaring in her eyes.
"Yea," he told her. "You?" He already knew that she was going, but he couldn't think of anything else to say and it just came out.
"Mhm," she purred. "Well, catch you later then!" She tapped his ear with her tail and walked away in the direction of her mentor, Crescentfrost. Bloodpaw watched her for a few moments before he looked down. His ear tingled from where she tapped it, and mind numbed for a second. Why did he feel this way? Shaking the thought from his head, he finished off the mouse and went to get Soulstar.
xXxXxXxXxXx
"Let's try that one again." Soulstar's semi-disappointed meow rang in Bloodpaw's ears. They were in the training hollow, and Bloodpaw was still working on one move. He had tried a dozen times, and although he got it right the way, he didn't want to show how quickly he had learned it. Telling himself that he would get it right this time, Bloodpaw performed the move. He pounced at Soulstar to slash at his muzzle, and when Soulstar ducked out of the way, Bloodpaw hopped to the side and went in from that way, balancing his weight perfectly. Soulstar got knocked to the ground and then got up with his fur ruffled.
"Well, didn't you bounce back fast?" Soulstar gasped. Bloodpaw licked his paw and swiped it over his ear with embarrassment when he glanced over at Sunpaw to see that she was looking on with a smile on her face.
"Now that both you and Sunpaw have gotten a move right," Soulstar meowed. He then paused. "You did get, right, Sunpaw?" She nodded vigorously. "Okay, so I'd like you two to practice those moves on each other. It will be a bit tough, seeing as though you will both be doing a different move, but I believe in you two." Soulstar purred and stepped back to let Sunpaw take his place. The two mentors watched as their apprentice's stared each other down.
"Ready?" Sunpaw mewed.
"As always," Bloodpaw replied, trying to stay cool. His heart thudded, and he stared right into her blue eyes. She narrowed them and Bloodpaw did the same.
"Go!" Soulstar ordered, and the young cats lunged at each other. Sunpaw went for Bloodpaw's front paws, while he went for his muzzle. He reared up on his hind feet, leaving her to clash at air, and came crashing down on her nose. She yelped with surprise and Bloodpaw felt automatic regret. He stopped himself as she hit the ground.
"Why'd you stop?" Soulstar asked from the sideline.
"I thought that I…" Bloodpaw trailed off.
"Hurt me?" Sunpaw asked, playfulness twinkling in her eyes as she got up. "Not at all! That was some move there, though. I had no clue!" Bloodpaw's belly fluttered and he looked down.
"Let's try that one again." Soulstar told them, allowing them time to get back into position. "Go!"
Now expecting Bloodpaw to jump, Sunpaw went down, but then quickly raised her paws. Their paws locked and Bloodpaw's ears burned. He jumped and kicked out with his hind paws, making her fall on top of him. Oh, great! he thought desperately. Thinking quick, he threw his head on the ground and kicked up with his hind paws again, so that she crashed down a mouselength away from the tips of his ears. He sprang to his paws and, while she was down, performed the move that he was supposed to: he prodded at her muzzle and then went in from the side.
Crescentfrost stared at him in awe when he was finished; Sunpaw got up, her fur ruffled; and Soulstar blinked once.
"Brilliant!" he burst out. "Where did you come up with that?" He was brimming with pride, and Bloodpaw sat down.
"Um, well they just kinda came to me," Bloodpaw meowed. Crescentfrost glared at him suspiciously now.
"How can such a young apprentice come up with those moves?" she accused.
"You can't blame him for being a natural born fighter," Soulstar said, jumping to his apprentice's defense.
"That was awesome!" Sunpaw purred. Bloodpaw felt a pang of guilt as he saw a small red dot glisten on her nose.
"Did I…?"
"Yea, but it's not problem," she told him. "It doesn't hurt."
"I think we should head back to camp now," Soulstar told them, making them glance around. Soulstar was eyeing Crescentfrost, who stared back with anger burning in her eyes.
As they walked to the camp, Sunpaw slowed her pace to match Bloodpaw's.
"You fought really well, today," she told him.
"Thanks," he meowed, not looking at her.
"Hey." Sunpaw sounded a bit calmer now, and Bloodpaw let his head turn slightly to look at her. He stared right into her sky blue eyes and his fur nearly melted off. "Don't take it personally—Crescentfrost is always grumpy. She didn't mean any harm when she said that stuff." Bloodpaw felt his paws tingle again as Sunpaw moved a bit closer. He took a small step to the side.
"Besides, I think you're pretty cool." She paused. "Friends?" Bloodpaw let the word soak in, and his heart beat a little faster.
"Yea," he meowed back. She stepped slightly closer and smiled. "Friends." And this time, he didn't move away.
Oooo, a little bit a romance goin' on between them? Hehe! I'll try to update soon, 'kay? (Oh, and I told you the chapter would be longer!)
