Chapter 3

Willowpaw entered camp, her head high. She looked at Honeyleaf, glaring at her. Once again she was with her father, sharing tongues, and prey. Her lips curled, slightly. Why hadn't Honeyleaf helped her mother against the fox? Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Why had Honeyleaf looked at the ground and the sides when she talked about her mother's death? She snarled inwardly. Even if she had just arrived when her mother was dying the fox would have been there, she would have had to fight as well, as Honeyleaf thought things over, she believed Honeyleaf's story even less. She padded gloomily to her nest, shooting glaring glances at her father and Honeyleaf. She put her head down on her paws, a soft growl escaping her throat.

She remember the day before, her promise to her self, her vow to be the best. She would be the best, and Rainstar would help her. As she slipped into sleep she felt her claws clutch the soft moss that made up her nest.

Willowpaw once more woke in the meadow, this time she noticed a forest, dark even the tree tops, they looked slightly green but were very dark.

"Hello Willowpaw" a quiet meow surprised her. Willowpaw turned around, sighing in relief when she saw who it was. "Oh, hi Rainstar. You surprised me...again"

Rainstar nodded. "Yes, i can tell." she mewed dryly. "And that is what we need to focus on, first. You need to be more alert. Open up to your surroundings, feel the earth, hear the wind, see your world." Rainstar comanded. Willowpaw nodded, and tensed trying to hear everything at once.
"Willowpaw!" she heard Rainstar's voice once again, and jumped slightly. Willowpaw ducked her head.
"Sorry.." she whispered.
Rainstar shook her head, "like this" she relaxed her muscles, unsheathe her claws into the ground, even relaxed her ears twitched every so often and her eyes flickered from place to place, her muscles were relaxed but she was alert. "Now hide...and try to surprise me" she commanded. Willowpaw nodded and looked at the tall grasses and flowers, she looked at a small dip, sheathing her claws, she crouched like when she would play with her brother. She flicked her ears back and fixed her eyes on the back of Rainstar's smoky gray head. She pushed of her hind legs, flying through the air, but Rainstar heard her way before she had jumped and had already moved to the side. Rainstar wore a smirk on her on her face, as she watched Willowpaw face-crash into the floor.

Willowpaw jumped up. "No Fair! You heard me coming!" Rainstar chuckled. "Get ready" Willowpaw tried to copy Rainstar's relaxed but alert posture, she heard Rainstar leave, but she couldn't make out where, she focused on trying to find Rainstar, and soon a heavy weight crashed down on her back.

"Oof" Willowpaw coughed as the air was knocked out of her. Rainstar growled, she seemed impatient.
"Willowpaw! Focus!" Rainstar snapped. Willowpaw nodded and looked ahead once more, this time she could tell what direction Rainstar had gone, but noticed too late when Rainstar had pounced. Once again, Rainstar growled and ordered her to try again. This time Willowpaw knew where she had gone, and when she jumped but waited to long. At last after many tries she could tell where Rainstar was and when she was going to jump, and she moved smiled.

"Good job" her praise felt good. "Now we start battle training" she grinned. "Attack me" she growled. Willowpaw felt unsure but she knew that's what Rainstar wanted so, she attacked, pouncing, like a small kit. Rainstar easily moved to the side.

Rainstar's pov

Rainstar groaned inwardly, this apprentice couldn't even pounce right. "Alright alright..i think we'll work on your pounce first" she nodded for the apprentice to crouch. Willowpaw did, and Rainstar flicked her ears. She rolled her eyes. Willowpaw was crouching with her paw extended as if she was laying down, her rear end high in the end and her tail flickered around. Rainstar shook her head with disappointment.

"Your lopsided" she snapped, and pushed Willowpaw gently with one paw and watched as she tumbled, as Willowpaw regained her crouch, this time not lopsided, Rainstar walked around her.

"Tuck your paws in, close to your chest-yes like that. Now lower your rump a bit" Willowpaw looked at her, looking somewhat confused. Rainstar placed her paws on her rump and lowered it. "Yes like that" Rainstar nodded. "Now, leap towards me, pounce" she comanded. This time Willowpaw''s pounce was good, she pushed off the ground with her hind paw, her front legs stretched out, as if to grab Rainstar. Rainstar turned her back to her, and kicked out with her hind legs, she felt Willowpaw's stomach hit her paws, and turned around. Willowpaw laid down on the ground, gasping for breath.

Willowpaw's pov

As Willowpaw stood up she watched her with confusion. "How did you do that?" she asked, her head tilting. Rainstar smiled simply and turned her back on her. "Like this" she grunted. She kicked out with her hind legs, hitting an invisible enemy. Willowpaw watched, as both her legs kicked out at precise timing, and fell down once again as in a beat. Willowpaw's eyes narrowed, and without being asked to, she tried herself. She didn't kick high, or strong or precise or fall down with rhythm. Rainstar shook her head, disappointed.
"No, Willowpaw, look..." she kicked out again and this time she noticed, one of her paws went up before the other, but barely, just a split heartbeat. Willowpaw watched as one paw fell before the other, but once again it the break was just a hearbeat...even less.
Willowpaw nodded slightly and turned her back, she kicked out. She kicked out, her kick was not as high as Rainstar's but was good enough. Rainstar smiled. "Again" she comanded. Willowpaw repeated the exercise several times, until her legs felt that they couldn't not kick anymore. Rainstar smiled. "You can rest now" Willowpaw sighed and dropped to the ground, panting. SHe sat up. "Rainstar?"

Rainstar looked at her. "Yes?"

Willowpaw looked straight into Rainstar's eyes. "Your Starclan right?"

Rainstar froze, and nodded, stiffly. "Yes, why?"

Willowpaw looked at her with wide eyes. "Then why didn't Starclan stop the fox from killing my mother?" Rainstar sighed.
"I am not Starclan, dear Willowpaw, i am sort of an outcast..i do not know why they didn't stop the murder of your mother. Really. I would have, i wouldn't have let you get hurt. But they did, Starclan did that to me too, they let my family die" she sighed.

Willowpaw looked at her, then at her paws. "Murder?'" her head snapped up.
Rainstar sighed and nodded, sadly. "Yes, Willowpaw...your mother was not killed by a fox..."

Willowpaw's eyes narrowed, her ears flattened, and her fur bristled. "What? But Honeyleaf-!"

Rainstar sat next to Willowpaw. "My darling...no, she has told you a lie, and Starclan permitted it, i know how she was killed" Willowpaw leaned against Rainstar's chest, snuggling into her smokey gray fur.
"how was my mother killed?" Willowpaw whispered. Rainstar sighed.
"Willowpaw...see your mother and father loved each other, but before they became mates, Honeyleaf and Swifthare were mates, lovers. When your mother got pregnant they made a deal, that when you and your brother became apprentices, Swifthare would go back to being her mate. Swifthare agreed, because he loved Honeyleaf more than the world, but he had deep feelings for Bluepetal. A few moons ago, Bluepetal and Honeyleaf spoke, or argued, Honeyleaf wanted her mate back and Bluepetal loved Swifthare too much to give him up. So Honeyleaf did what she though was needed, she made a plan, she grabbed fox dung and well smeared it on some trees, leaving the scent behind. Then she invited Bluepetal for a walk, they left at dawn, and walked towards the scent of the fox, Bluepetal thought there was a fox, and ran to fight it, but there was no fox, just Honeyleaf waiting behind her, she killed her. She smeared the fox dung on your mother's pelt so she would smell like fox"

Willowpaw's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in anger. "She killed my mother?" Rainstar nodded. "I'm sorry"
Willowpaw hissed. "She has to pay, I have to avenge my mother"

Rainstar nodded. "Do not worry, my little one, i will help you. She will pay..." she whispered. "But you have to train, harder. Everyday, you can't fall in love, ever well unless its necessary for the plan, you will make her life miserable."

Willowpaw nodded. "yes.."