Chapter 5
"Tinypaw – get up!" Graypaw's voice tore through Tinypaw's dream. The fat gray squirrel he had been tracking had escaped up a tree, safe for another night as Tinypaw's eyes opened. "Training begins at dawn, remember? You don't want to be late – Dustpaw and Sandpaw are already up and gone!"
Tinypaw pushed himself up, irritation swept away by excitement. Here was his first day as a ThunderClan apprentice, and he was nearly late for training! That would be a bad first impression to make on his noble mentor.
"Lionheart said that Ravenpaw won't be able to join us for a few days," Graypaw said, washing his chest. Tinypaw crept out of the den and gave his ears a quick washing as his friend continued. "So it's just you and me today with Lionheart and Bluefur."
"What are Dustpaw and Sandpaw doing?" Tinypaw asked.
"Hunting," Graypaw said.
Tinypaw grunted. He was shocked that Sandpaw would be doing duties today, especially since her father was killed just yesterday. Tinypaw took a quick glance around the camp, finding that Redtail's body had already been buried. His scent lingered in the clearing, growing stale.
"We should hurry, though," Graypaw meowed. "We can't keep them waiting!"
Tinypaw nodded and followed as Graypaw led the way. The gorse tunnel pricked at Tinypaw's sides, but when they pushed through that they were in the forest. Tinypaw had no time to take in the view of his home – his territory – as they trotted through the undergrowth.
Graypaw and Tinypaw made their way down a well-worn path. Finally, it opened up in a clearing. Sunshine made te sandy floor of the clearing warm on Tinypaw's paws, and the softness made it easy to move on. Bluefur and Lionheart were already there – both sat in the center of the clearing like sentinels, the sunlight making their pelts glow.
"You were nearly late," Bluefur commented, her eyes narrowed at Tinypaw. "Next time, I expect you to be more punctual."
"Calm down Bluefur," Lionheart meowed. "It was a rough day yesterday, for all of us. You cannot condemn either of them for wanting a little more rest."
Bluefur said nothing. A cool breeze tugged at the cats' fur, slicing through the warmth of the day.
"Today we will be exploring our boundaries," Lionheart meowed. "Since Tinypaw is new to our Clan, Blufur and I have decided that a tour of the borders is necessary."
Graypaw gave a bored look.
"It wouldn't hurt for you to be reminded of our borders," Bluefur said evenly. "After all, it was your crossing them that led you to meet Tinypaw."
Bluefur didn't allow for another word, and neither did Lionheart – the two of them took off, tails high, into the woods. Graypaw followed, and Tinypaw did his best to keep up with their brisk pace.
It was tough on his small legs as they led him through the unfamiliar woods. Tinypaw was busy trying to memorize every tree, bush, and leaf – but his Clanmates were going too fast. Tinypaw did his best to lengthen his stride, but even then he could only keep pace with Graypaw.
Relief came when Bluefur and Lionheart stopped. A small path was cut through the trees, hardly noticeable but for the strange scent and markings in the dirt.
"This is a Twoleg path," Bluefur meowed. "They often come here, walking their dogs. Tinypaw – can you tell me if it's safe to cross?"
Tinypaw's heart thudded, but when he opened his mouth he realized that the Twoleg-scent seemed stale. The dog-scent was staler, telling him that a Twoleg had walked here, but not with a dog.
"It's safe," he assured them. "The Twoleg hasn't been here since this morning."
Lionheart opened his jaws, scented for himself, and then closed them. He nodded, and Tinypaw puffed his chest out with a little bit of pride.
Bluefur and Lionheart took off again, but this time Tinypaw was more prepared for the pace they set. It was easy to spot them through the trees now – the oaks and elms turned into pines, straight and narrow, growing in neat rows. Ruts pockmarked the ground here and there, filled with stinking fluid from Twoleg monsters.
"Twolegs put these trees here," Bluefur told him. Her gait was wary, every muscle tense for a Twoleg to spring out from behind a tree. "They cut them down with their monsters in greenleaf."
"What a racket it makes!" Lionheart huffed.
Tinypaw had to nod in agreement – he'd heard that monster's boisterous roar before, even in the Twolegplace. Now that he knew just what it meant, he kept a note to watch out for it in greenleaf.
"They take the fallen trees to the Treecut place, not far from here," Bluefur continued. "Our route will not take us there, though."
They continued on through the pines. Slightly familiar scents hit Tinypaw's nose, and he slowed his gait to try and sniff out just what they were. Graypaw slowed with him.
"Twolegplace lies beyond those pines," he said, giving Tinypaw a nudge. "C'mon – if they see you lingering, they might think you want to go back!"
Tinypaw nodded in agreement and picked up the pace, catching up with Lionheart and Bluefur. Neither of them seemed to notice that the apprentices had slowed.
They crossed another Twoleg path that marked the edge of the pine forest. Where the pines ended, oak woods began again – the wariness of Bluefur, Lionheart, and Graypaw seemed to leave them as they trotted confidently through the undergrowth.
"We're heading for RiverClan territory," Graypaw offered. He pointed with his muzzle to mounds of gray stone that rose in the distance, beyond the undergrowth. No trees grew there. "There's Sunningrocks."
"Hush!" hissed Bluefur. "We're too close to enemy territory for you to be blabbing!"
They pushed through the undergrowth and out into the rocky clearing. Dips and ridges and large, flat stones littered the area, with the river flowing beyond. A pungent scent hit Tinypaw's nostrils, making his eyes water – but really he could only think of this place being the place where Redtail lost his life so tragically.
Lionheart sprayed a marker onto a stone, and then meowed, "That is the scent of RiverClan, Tinypaw – learn it. It will be strongest here, where they mark their boundary."
Tinypaw breathed the scent in, surprised at how alien it was to him compared to ThunderClan, whose smells were already feeling like home.
"We can follow this boundary all the way to Fourtrees," Bluefur meowed. She looked out upon the rocks with an unreadable expression. "That way Tinypaw can get a breath of all the other Clan scents."
"Fourtrees?" Tinypaw asked.
"It's where all the territories of the four Clans meet," Graypaw replied, his eyes sparkling. "There are four oaks there, as old as -"
"Graypaw!" Bluefur hissed. "What did I say? We're too close to enemy borders for you to be talking so freely!"
Graypaw closed his mouth, but not before mumbling an apology.
They continued onward, following the border. They crossed a small stream with ease, and by the time they reached Fourtrees Tinypaw was puffing with exhaustion, his small legs burning.
Relief came when Bluefur and Lionheart led them to the top of a grassy slope. Below them the forest opened up into a grassy clearing. In the middle four great oak trees grew together, their huge branches swaying in the light breeze. Below the clearing was a large, smooth rock, and several scents washed over Tinypaw.
"As Graypaw was saying," Lionheart meowed, "this is Fourtrees, the place where all four territories meet."
"Ahead of us is the high ground of WindClan," Bluefur meowed. "You won't be able to catch their scent, because the wind is blowing towards them. You'll learn it soon enough."
"ShadowClan is over there," Graypaw meowed, pointing with his tail, "in the darkest part of the forest. "The elders say that cold winds blow over the ShadowClan cats, chilling their hearts."
"So many Clans!" Tinypaw breathed. And so organized, if they're all like ThunderClan!
"So you see why prey is precious," Lionheart meowed. "Why we must fight for everything we have."
"But why can't you work together and share your hunting grounds?" Tinypaw asked. "Why do you all have to fight one another for survival, when you're all working for the same thing?"
There was silence, and Tinypaw realized that he had said the wrong thing.
"That is dangerous thinking, kittypet," Bluefur growled, her blue eyes narrowed. "The ways of the Clans are new to you, and speaking from the heart in such a way will leave you open and vulnerable at the worst of times!"
"Be calm, Bluefur," Lionheart soothed. "Having an open heart can be a weakness, but it can also be a strength. It must be tempered, and used wisely."
Bluefur snorted.
"We do come together peacefully," Lionheart told Tinypaw. Gesturing with his tail toward the clearing, he meowed, "Here, in fact – every full moon. These Gatherings are held in peace, and all Clans are capable of sharing news with one another without fear of attack."
"Then a meeting must be soon?" Tinypaw meowed. "The moon was bright and full yesterday!"
"There is," Lionheart confirmed. "Tonight, in fact. You must understand, Tinypaw – while coming together in peace for one night is a good thing, logner alliances bring more trouble than they're worth."
"Loyalty to your Clan makes it strong," Bluefur meowed. "You must remember that if you are to live with us."
"I understand," Tinypaw meowed, dipping his head in apology to his mentor. He hadn't meant to anger her.
"Let's keep moving," Lionheart said. "We've got more ground to cover."
They followed the ridge deeper into the woods, leaping a stream in one bound. All the while Tinypaw began picking up a scent he hadn't smelled before, and it was getting stronger the further along they walked.
"What is that smell?" he asked.
"ShadowClan," Graypaw replied, his voice low and dark.
"Keep your wits about you," Bluefur mewed cautiously. "These scents are fresh – a patrol is in the area."
A new noise, low and rumbling, interrupted Tinypaw's reply. It shook the ground beneath Tinypaw's paws, and he looked up at the others with worry in his eyes.
"What is that?" he asked.
"You'll see," Lionheart rumbled.
The trees grew thinner as they got closer to the source of the rumbling. Tinypaw could feel it shaking his bones now. A roaring sound penetrated the woods, tearing into Tinypaw's sensitive ears and ruffling their fur. He realized that they were at the edge of the forest now, and he could see out beyond.
A great gray path lay before them, several lengths away. The grass here was oily and nasty underpaw, and the smells here were nothing short of awful. Tinypaw wrinkled his nose against them.
"This is the Thunderpath," Bluefur meowed.
As if her words had summoned it, a great beast on round black paws roared past, almost blasting Tinypaw off of his paws with the winds it kicked up. Tinypaw dug his claws into the earth as the monster roared away into the distance. Blood roiled in Tinypaw's ears, and his heart was caught in his throat as silence reigned over the area.
I've never seen them so fast before! Tinypaw thought. The monsters he was used to crawled along the stone paths, slow and easy to avoid. Those could kill a cat!
"Scared me too the first time," Graypaw offered as assurance. Tinypaw straightened himself up, realizing that his reaction might have been a little over-the-top. "But these monsters keep ShadowClan from crossing into our territory easily, and they never seem to leave the Thunderpath. You'll be fine so long as you don't get too near it."
"I think that's enough for today," Bluefur decided, her ears flattened against the noise that still rung in Tinypaw's ears. "We've seen enough, and these apprentices are tired. They way around Snakerocks is longer, but we'll avoid it – young cats make easy prey for the adders there. I expect you're feeling tired, Tinypaw – this is a lot to take in."
Tinypaw didn't bother to hide it – he nodded in agreement.
"We'll see more another time," Bluefur promised. "Let's get going."
Lionheart led the way back through the trees, and Tinypaw followed as they padded through the forest and back to camp. The sound of the Thunderpath faded behind them, and Tinypaw could not have been more grateful for that.
The smells of evening and fresh-kill hit Tinypaw's nose as he pushed his way into camp. Crickets sang their songs in the evening air, betraying the still-warm temperature of the dusk hours. Tinypaw's hungry eyes rested on the fresh-kill pile, which was stocked and full. Wordlessly, Tinypaw and Graypaw took their share and headed for the stump by the apprentice's den.
Sandpaw and Dustpaw were there, munching hungrily on their own shares. Their pelts smelled of the forest, of the trees and leaves and sticks. Bones crunched between Sandpaw's teeth, and her eyes were far away.
"Hey kittypet," scoffed Dustpaw, his eyes narrowed. "Enjoy the fresh-kill we caught for you – who knows? You might learn to catch your own someday!"
"You two still on hunting duty?" Graypaw was trying to be mocking, but it didn't quite work. Tinypaw flicked an ear in sympathy. Graypaw didn't seem bothered, and he went on, "We were patrolling the territory – you'll be happy to know that everything is all right!"
"I'm sure the other Clans were terrified when they smelled you coming," Dustpaw growled. Tinypaw felt the jibe, and decided to ignore it. There was no good to come from riling up a bully like Dustpaw.
Graypaw was not so intuitive. "They didn't dare show their faces," he growled back, neck fur rising.
Don't encourage him, Graypaw, Tinypaw thought, willing the thought to pass to Graypaw.
"We'll ask them tonight, then, when we're at the Gathering," Sandpaw interjected. Her tone was not friendly, but Tinypaw guessed she was trying to keep Graypaw from attacking Dustpaw.
"You're going?" Tinypaw asked.
Sandpaw's reply was drowned out by Dustpaw. "Of course!" he said loftily. "It's such a great honor to be chosen – don't worry; we'll be sure to tell you everything in the morning."
Tinypaw sighed, now sure that any conversation with Dustpaw would only lead to more gloating from the dark tabby tom. Together, he and Graypaw crunched their fresh-kill between their teeth. Evening set in quickly, and Tinypaw was full long before he had finished his share of mouse. He sat back, listening to the sounds of the evening as he groomed his dusty pelt.
Tigerstar's call – more like a roar – sounded from the Highrock. Several Clan warriors emerged from their dens to gather in the clearing. Tinypaw assumed that they were the Gathering party.
"Good bye," Sandpaw offered. "Have a nice, quiet evening!"
"We sure will," Graypaw commented as Sandpaw and Dustpaw got to their paws. Tinypaw watched enviously as the two apprentices joined the Gathering party.
With Tigerstar at its head and Lionheart by his side, the Gathering party left the camp with confidence in their steps. Tinypaw watched each cat go, ignoring the mocking look Dustpaw threw his way. Sandpaw trailed after them all, her eyes still far-away, with Whitestorm striding just beside her.
She still takes Redtail's death pretty hard, Tinypaw thought, feeling sympathy for the she-cat.
"Have you been to a Gathering?" Tinypaw asked, hoping to distract Graypaw from Dustpaw's mocking.
Graypaw shook his head. "Not yet," he meowed. The soft-furred apprentice slid over to Tinypaw and began grooming the base of Tinypaw's neck. "But all apprentices get to go sometime."
They shared tongues until moonlight bathed the clearing. Then, they slipped into the apprentice's den to sleep off their long, weary day. Despite the ache in his paws, Tinypaw was looking forward to tomorrow's training.
Graypaw and Tinypaw woke before dawn, creeping out of their nests long before Dustpaw and Sandpaw woke. Though Tinypaw had been eager to hear about the Gathering last night, Graypaw insisted that they would hear of it whether they liked it or not. "Dustpaw won't be able to shut his mouth about it, I'm sure!" Graypaw had insisted.
This time, Ravenpaw was there to join them in the sandy hollow. Tinypaw was grateful that Spottedleaf had cleared him for training – he was eager to meet and get to know the skinny black tom.
As they approached, though, it was clear that Ravenpaw was tense and unhappy. His skinny, white-tipped tail twitched back and forth and his dark eyes seemed to flutter about the hollow, not settling on any single point.
"Hey Ravenpaw," Graypaw offered, settling next to the other apprentice. "Don't look so miserable! You're not usually this unhappy about training!"
"Yeah, usually," Ravenpaw managed. "B-But this time…"
The scents of Bluefur and Lionheart flooded the hollow, heralding their arrival. Ravenpaw shut his mouth, looking down at his paws, as the warriors strode into the hollow, looking awake and alert despite both going to the Gathering the night before.
"I-I'm just worried about hurting my shoulder again," Ravenpaw offered flimsily.
"Warriors suffer their pain silently," Bluefur meowed, her voice cool and level. "It shows weakness to speak so freely of your pains."
Ravenpaw flinched at her words, his eyes intently focused on the ground.
"Today we will practice stalking," Lionheart announced. "There is a big difference between creeping up on a mouse and creeping up on a rabbit – what is it?"
Tinypaw kept his mouth shut – he knew nothing about this topic, but he was eager to learn. Ravenpaw was sitting beside him, mouth clamped tight as if by Bluefur's request.
"Come now," Bluefur scoffed. "One of you must know!"
Graypaw answered, "A rabbit will smell you before he sees you, but a mouse will hear your pawsteps long before you get close."
"Good!" Lionheart praised. Graypaw's eyes sparkled. "Bearing that in mind, what must you keep in mind when hunting mice?"
Tinypaw's reply was tentative. "Step lightly?"
"Right, Tinypaw," Lionheart agreed. Tinypaw felt warm under the golden tom's praise, and Bluefur looked at her apprentice approvingly. "You must put all your weight on your haunches so that your paws make no impact on the forest floor. Let's try it!"
Graypaw and Ravenpaw immediately dropped into practices hunting crouches. Tinypaw felt a twinge of envy for their knowledge.
"Nicely done, Graypaw!" Lionheart praised as Graypaw padded forward, as stealthy as possible.
"You look like a duck, Ravenpaw!" scolded Bluefur. "Keep your rear down!"
Ravenpaw mumbled to himself and obeyed, his tail shivering.
"Try it for yourself, Tinypaw," Bluefur offered, looking away from Ravenpaw. "I was told you almost caught a mouse when Graypaw found you. Let's see how good you are."
Nervous, Tinypaw lowered himself into a crouch. He did his best to copy Graypaw and Ravenpaw, making sure to keep his rear down as he crossed the hollow.
"Well balanced," Bluefur offered, when Tinypaw sat up again. "But your forward movement is clumsy and your pace is nothing short of lumbering!"
Tinypaw flattened his ears. He hadn't expected to be good, but he hadn't expected such harsh criticisms. He listened intently, making sure to absorb all the information – determined to get this right.
"All of that will come with time," Lionheart assured Bluefur. "Tinypaw is smaller than Ravenpaw and Graypaw – his movements didn't quite reflect that. I'm confident you'll help him learn to adapt."
"Yes, I suppose," Bluefur meowed, shifting on her shorter legs. She glanced at Ravenpaw and sighed, "I suppose Tinypaw's effort is better than Ravenpaw's. After two moons of training Tigerstar won't be pleased to hear that you're still putting all your weight onto one side!"
Ravenpaw's eyes were pools of misery at her words. Tinypaw stepped forward and said, "It's his injury, that's all – he doesn't want to reopen it!"
"Injuries are a fact of our lives, Tinypaw," Bluefur meowed back, her blue eyes cold and narrowed, like icy daggers. "Ravenpaw should know that as well as you seem to – and he ought to be ashamed at being shown up by such a smaller, younger cat!"
Tinypaw flinched at his mentor's words. Unable to face Ravenpaw, he turned his guilty eyes to his own paws, wishing he hadn't said anything at all.
"Well, I'm more lopsided than a one-legged badger!" complained Graypaw rather loudly. He staggered comically across the hollow, holding one leg up and out as he hobbled along. "I'll have to settle for squashing my prey! They shall not stand a chance – I shall sit on them until they surrender!"
"Enough, Graypaw! This is no time for your jokes," chuckled Lionheart. Even Bluefur's whiskers were twitching with a slight hint of amusement. "Perhaps you might focus your mind better if you were to try stalking for real?"
Graypaw dropped the act and lifted his tail, his eyes bright and excited. Even Ravenpaw looked up, eyes wide. Tinypaw lifted his head, heart thudding in his ears. Stalking? Stalking real mice, not the dream ones that always faded in his paws, or disappeared?
"I want each of you to try catching some real prey," Lionheart said. "Ravenpaw, look by Owltree. Graypaw, that bramble patch over there looks like it might hold something. Tinypaw, follow that rabbit track over the rise – there's a dry streambed there that might hold something for you."
Even Ravenpaw looked excited as the three apprentices padded away on their task. Tinypaw did as he was asked, following the rabbit track up the hill until he reached a dry streambed. In leaf-fall Tinypaw figured this stream ran with water from the rains, but now it was dry.
He opened his mouth, scenting for prey. Blood pounded in his ears as he caught the scent of mouse – easily recognized because of his very first meal in the camp. He opened his eyes and ears wide, catching sight and sound of the creature scuffling amongst the dried reeds that surrounded the empty stream.
The brown creature was huddled on the other side of the streambed, shuffling in the grass. Tinypaw, eager, lowered his body. Taking every piece of advice into account, he moved forward as carefully as possible, tail low and rear lower.
When he was within striking distance, Tinypaw shifted his weight onto his back legs for his spring. Air rushed beneath his belly as he leaped – and his aim was true. He landed on the mouse and, without giving it a second to flee he bit its neck and killed it.
Lifting the warm body in his jaws, he couldn't help but purr. His first catch, so much better than stalking in his dreams!
Tail high, he retraced his path back to the training hollow, eager to show Bluefur and Lionheart his catch. He was nothing less than a true Clan apprentice now – there was no doubt about it!
