It has been over a moon since Thornpaw and the others were made apprentices and over half a moon since Brackenstar had taught her how to hunt and fight. Brackenstar had wanted it to be a bonding moment for apprentice and mentor. They were only together for the last couple exercisers of training. Where the other mentors could watch and help with little things that might improve the apprentice and get told what they are doing right.
On fight training days, they would pair up. These days were her favorite, because it was when it was just her and the other cat nothing else got invalid; it was also fun to throw Poppypaw around when she got the chances. For the first couple of days they would mix up each day, so one day Thornpaw would be with Timberpaw. Who would lose to her, because of her height and weight advantage and his lack of practice. Her least favorite cat to work with was Poppypaw, because she could go head to head with her, unlike her brother, and still pin her. She wasn't as bad as she used to be to her, but she could not take criticism from, in her words, "an over sized non- clan apprentice" or anyone except Frostfur and Brackenstar. Owlpaw didn't really talk to her unless it was darning the pair up.
On hunting day, it was a little rougher. Timberpaw somehow managed to move through the undergrowth like Antpelt dose even with his long fur and always caught something. Owlpaw and Poppypaw seemed to excel, both moving with ease with their short pelts. While she kept getting caught in the undergrowth and tripping over her paws. Brackenstar kept saying it would come in time, but seeing all the other apprentices get it so fast made it hard to see it.
"Today we are going to do something different. Antpelt and Brokenear have come up with an idea that will hopefully help each other and yourself." Brackenstar said standing in the hollows.The mentors were sitting behind him and the apprentices were in front in a semi- circle, "Antpelt, Brokenear would one of you like to explain?" Antpelt and Brokenear looked at each other. For a moment nothing happened then Brockenear rolled her amber eyes and took Brackenstar's spot in front.
"Today you are going to be put in pairs and work on hunting and/or fighting. Your mentor will be watch, but not getting invalid. You can choose your own partner; it will just be the two of you. We are using this as a learning experience so don't do anything stupid" she said with a glare, "Okay, pick your partner and talk about you need to work on."
Thornpaw turned to Timberpaw with a smile and walked over, "So what do you think we should work on?"
"I would like to practice some more on fighting. You?" He said sitting down. His pale brown pelt pricked with anticipation.
"Hunting. Brackenstar says I'm getting better, but I know I need some work." she said.
"Okay what do you want to work on first?" He asked with a smile.
"It doesn't matter what you work on, mouse-brain." A high pitched voice came from behind Thornpaw said , "It's obvious we are doing this for you two." Poppypaw said flicking her tail.
Timberpaw looked at Thornpaw confused then back at his sister, "What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked annoyed, but Thornpaw and Timberpaw still looked confused, "Wow you two really are slow. Okay let me ask you a question. Timberpaw how's fight training going?" the realization hit Thornpaw as she felt her golden-brown fur prickle with frustration "And Thornpaw hunting? Now who do you think we are doing this for again?"
"Hey that is not ture! We are doing just fine Brackenstar said so." Thornpaw said her fur poofed out.
"Then why are we doing this and not just going with our mentors? It's because you two keep messing up on fight or hunting techniques. Frostfur saids I am excelling and Owlpaw is always beating you Timberpaw. It's you two that are the worst apprentices in the clan not us." she said with her head held high and turned to Thornpaw, "I've seen a better hunting technique from a mouse, but I guess that's what you get for making a non- clan cat an apprentice." She then started getting in Thornpaw's personal space, "You don't have the same warrior blood as us, but you have kitty-pet blood or a loner. Both are not supposed to be mixed with a warrior's blood." She finished with a smile.
"That still doesn't make it ture." Timberpaw said stepping in between them. "And blood has nothing thing to do with being a warrior." But Thornpaw couldn't hear him though the blood pulsing in her ears. She looked at Poppypaw with narrow her dark green eyes, but before she could do anything,
"Hey there is a lot more talking then training going on over there." Frostfur called, "Get to work you three."
Thornpaw turned to the white deputy, seeing all of the mentors and Owlpaw watching with wide eyes, then asking, "Do we have to stay in the training hollows for this or can we go somewhere else?" Frostfur's blue eyes stared at her for a moment then looked at their tabby leader for an answer.
"I don't see a problem in it." He said
Thornpaw nodded her head and turned back around and marched out of the hollow.
"Hey Thornpaw wait up!" She stopped and turned to see Timberpaw running up to her.
"What are you doing?" She asked
"We're partners right?" He replied with a smile, "And you have to help me with finger out the Belly Rake." He said walking next to her.
"Okay, but do you mind doing a little bit of hunting first?" She asked.
"I don't mind. Where do you want to go?"
"Near the twoleg place. I once saw a two-leg feeding the prey over there."
"Okay, lead the way"
Thornpaw stalked forward slowly. Body low to the ground; eyes narrowed. She latched forward paws outstretched, but before meet her bird it flow to the brush.
"Fox daug! Stupid bird!" She yelled
"Yeah blame the bird for wanting to live." Timberpaw said walking out from the undergrowth.
Thornpaw shot him a glare.
"You know if Antpelt and Brackenstar didn't know where we were they do now." He smiled
"Oh shut up. Just because I was loud dosen..."
"Swarke!"
Both apprentices stopped and turned to the sound and listened. Everything was silence there were no birds tweeted, no squirrels running up tree even the air seemed to stop. Thornpaw opened her mouth; there was a copper smell in the air. She looked to Timberpaw who was doing the same. He looked at her with a shrug.
"Could it be Antpelt or Brackenstar?" He whispered fur prickling.
"I don't know, least see. " She said back, "Brackenstar? Antpelt is that you?" She called out.
Silence
Thornpaw felt her pelt start to prickle as well. She turned her head around starting at the the undergrowth for any sign of a reddish- brown pelt of Antpelt. Her eyes caught the brush move. She looked at Timberpaw and nodded to the brush. He nodded back. They crept forward slowly. Thornpaw in front and Timberpaw in back ears and whisker twitching back and forth.
When they were half a fox length away a bird flow out. Flying right into Thornpaw.
She got up one her hind paw trying to get it out of her face, but instead falling back on to Timberpaw. They watched the bird fly up into the sky. When they could see it anymore Thornpaw looked at Timberpaw then at their projections.
She was on top of him; her belly side up. He was on his stomach with leaves and twigs in his fur. He stared at her looking her up and down before he started laughing. Has he did the side of his stomach she was on started shaking moving her body up and down and soon she was laughing too. And there they sat laughing at each other. They didn't stop until Brackenstar and Antpelt walked out from the undergrowth.
"What are you two doing?" Antpelt asked looking at the two apprentices.
Thornpaw and Timberpaw stopped laughing. They looked at them then back at each other. For a moment everything was quiet then Timberpaw snorted and they both started laughing. Antpelt let out a sigh before sitting down with a smile next to a very amused Brackenstar. Before too much larger they both were wheezing and coughing.
"Okay now, why are you two laughing?" Brackenstar asked still smiling.
"There was a bird that flow out from the brush. It scared Thornpaw and she fall on me with leaves and twigs in her fur." he said smiling. For the first time Thornpaw looked at herself; she did have twigs and leaves in her fur everywhere, "I don't know why she's laughing those."
"Because when you were laughing your side was moving making me shake." She responded getting off of him.
"Okay what were you doing before the laughing fit you guys had?" Antpelt asked.
"We were hunting."She said giving her pelt a shake.
"I was hunting. She was too busy scaring off the prey." Timberpaw said jumping in the conversion.
"Hey!" She stopped and thought for a moment, "...That's kinda true."
Brackenstar let out a chuckle, "Well whatever prey you did catch go get we need to head back to camp rain is coming and you still have your apprentice chores to do."
"Yes Brackenstar!" They said at the same time before running off with leaves and twigs still in their fur.
They walked into camp with three mice, a vole and three squirrels. Brackenstar said for them to go feed the elders and get cleaned up.
"What in StarClan's name happened to you two?" Hollycloud asked as they walked in to the elder's den.
"Those bird can put up quite a fight." Timberpaw said looking at Thornpaw. She shot him a glare and walked over to Echosong and Sparrowwing and sat down the mouse and vole.
"Does anyone need any new bedding?" Thornpaw asked as Echosong started picking at her fur.
"I would like to have some more. These old bones are getting achy." Hollycloud said.
"Do you want me to ask if Doestep or Shrewtail have anything that might help?" Timberpaw asked when he sat down the squirrel.
"You shouldn't leaf-bare is coming soon and we need the herbs." Grabbing the squirrel with a wince.
"But what if you really are hurt and Doestep could have done something to help?" Thornpaw said.
"She's right Hol. " Sparrowwing said.
"Hol?" She thought.
"At least let them look you over." Echosong charmed in with pleased eyes.
"Okay if it will make all of you stop worrying" she said
"I can go get the moss if you get Doestep or Shrewtail." Thornpaw said. He nodded and left the den Thornpaw follow close behind.
When she got back with the moss she saw the pale cream pelt of Doestep walking in and start looking over Hollycloud.
"When did this first start?" Doestep asked paws running over her back and shoulders.
"I don't know." She responded moving away from Doestep's paw on her shoulder.
"And why, may I asked, didn't you tell me about this when it started?"
"I don't know. It's going closer to leaf-bare then it is to new-leaf and I didn't want to waste any herb on me."
Doestep's amber eyes shorten on the old black and grey she-cat, "Well it nothing major just some stiffness. Nothing some daisy leaf won't mix and massaging." She said, "I will be right back."
"See Hol, was that so bad?" Sparrowwing asked
"There it is again."
"I never said it was going to be bad I said I didn't want to waste herb." She responded with a hiss.
"Sparrowwing? Why did you call Hollycloud 'Hol'?" She asked confused.
"What ?"
"You called Hollycloud 'Hol'. Why?"
"Oh, we just have nicknames for each other. Hollycloud is Holly or Hol, Echosong is Ech and mine is Spar or Row."
"Where did come from?" Timberpaw asked sitting next to Hollycloud.
"We have been friend since kit-hood, so they have always been there. " Echosong said.
Before Thornpaw could ask another question Doestep walked back in, "Okay I got you some daisy leaf, Timberpaw Thornpaw come here." She asked, "For the next three sunrises, around sunhigh, one of needs to come find me or Shrewtail and get these." She said showing them white leaves, "Then you are going to need to massage her shoulder. Okay?"
They both nodded.
"Good now come closer. I need to show you how to massage it, so you don't stress the muscular more." She place her white paws on one shoulder and started moving them in a circle, "if she says you can put more pressure then add it lightly. When you think your done, you're not, always go a little longer than you think. Once you are done with one go to the other, by the third sunrise she should be fine." She stopped and went to the other shoulder, "I can do it today, but tomorrow it will be up to you two. "
"What if it doesn't get better?" Timberpaw asked watching Doestep's paws move.
"Then we do it longer, but when this normally happens it ends in three sunrises." She responded.
"But this is Hollycloud we are talking about she's never really been normal." Sparrowwing said.
Echosong stopped cleaning and looked up with a smile, "Like how she would hunt." Both apprentices tried to hold back a snicker.
Hollycloud jerked her head up glared at the other four cats with her blue eyes.
As Doestep finished up there was a loud crack of thunder outside the den. Thornpaw and Timberpaw both stuck their heads outside and looked up at the sky. They waited for a couple of heartbeats before a burst of light flashed thought the sky and water started falling. Timberpaw let out an unimpressed sound and glare at nothing. While Thornpaw looked up at the sky and it was peaceful until a drop of water when right in her eye,
"Ahhh!" She exclaimed rubbing her eye with her forepaw. Timberpaw looked at her still unimpressed,
"What happened?"
"Nothing, water just got in my eye."
"Oh, that all?"
"Yeah, nothing like StarClan spitting in your eye."
"At least it was water and not a bird."
"Thanks Timberpaw you're a real help."
He shrugged and moved back into the den.
"You know you two should go back to the apprentice den before the rain comes down harder." Hollycloud said
"Are you sure you don't need anything least?" Timberpaw asked
"No I think I'm good." She responded, "Right Doestep?"
"Right if you do what I told you to do then everyone in the den should be just fine." She said walking out of the den.
"And you two need to get cleaned you." Echosong said gesturing with her tail to their pelts. Thornpaw looked herself up and down then looked at Timberpaw. They both still had leaves and twigs in their fur. She suddenly felt her ears burn.
"She right. We look awful." She said.
"I don't know what you are talking about. I think I might make this my new look!" Timberpaw said with a cocky voice
"Come on let's go get some prey and get to the den. I am getting tired."
"Okay, bye see you all tomorrow."
"Bye."
Thornpaw woke with a start; she could hear that it was still raining outside. She looked around the dimly lit den. Everyone was asleep Poppypaw and Owlpaw were on the far side of the den, in the middle was Hawkpaw, who was getting to big for his ness, and next to her on the left was Willowpaw. She turned her head and to her surprise Timberpaw was not laying next to her. She looked around searching for him. Her eyes landed on him at the entrance of the den sitting there wide awake staring out of the den. At then angle she was at she could tell he wared a sad expression on his face. He was always one of the bigger apprentices, but right now he looked so small and Thornpaw did not like it.
She got up and walked over to her friend, "Hey Timberpaw, what are you doing up?" when she got closer she could tell he had been crying.
He wiped his eyes with his paw, "Couldn't sleep." he said voice cracking not meeting her eye.
She sat down next to him, "Is that it?"
He nodded looking forward. She could see water pooling in his eyes.
"Are you sure?"
He shrugged. Looking at her with sad red shot green eyes
"Do you want to talk about it?" she said scooting closer.
For a while he didn't say anything then out of the blue, "Do you think Poppypaw is right?" he said looking at her.
"What do you mean?"
"About us being partnered up this sunrise. That it our fault and that we are the worst apprentices in the clan."
Thornpaw thought for a moment, "I..I.I don't know, but i know whatever the mentors came up with is meant to help all of us."
"I know, but what if I don't get better? What if I never become a warrior and get stuck as an apprentice? I've seen the disappointed look on Antpelt's face when I don't get something right." he kept going and as he did he worked himself into more tears.
"Hey calm down, just because you don't get something right doesn't mean you never will. Antpelt is not disappointed in you; if he was he would be disappointed in me too. And if you get stuck as an apprentice you won't be alone have you seen how I hunt." she said smiling tears coming to her eyes
He looked at her, "You mean that?" he asked sniffling.
"Yes the worst apprentices have to stick together, right?" Tears were now coming down her face.
He reached up and wrapped his paws around her and pulled her into a hug, "Thank you Thornpaw."
"Your welcome Ber"
"Ber?" He said pulling away from her, tears streaming down his face.
"Yeah it's your nickname." There was another crack of thunder outside then light shown in the sky. As this happened Timberpaw and Thornpaw jumped in surprise and got closer, "Come on least go back to sleep. It's to early."
They crawled back it to their nest. Thornpaw was almost asleep when she felt something warm against her back. She lifted her head and look to see Timbersaw pressed against her. She smiled and adjusted her body against his and fell asleep.
