The next morning, Wildpaw awoke to the sound of Foxstar yowling a clan meeting. Stretching, she stretched her tired muscles and hopped out of her nest. Prodding Scratchpaw who was still in a deep sleep, her brother opened his eyes and looked at her questioningly.

Snapping her head in the direction of the outside of the den she mewed, "Foxstars called a meeting. Hurry up before we miss anything."

Scratchpaw yawned and stood up, pausing to lick his fur before padding after Wildpaw who walked out of the den. Fallenpaw and Badgerpaw were already seated near the edge of the crowd of cats, beckoning them over to them.

Bounding over to them, the two siblings sat down just in time for Foxstar to yowl, "Tonight is the gathering. And I have debated on taking the new apprentices since its only been two days since they've been apprenticed, "he mewed, looking at the three young cats. "and I have decided to only take Wildpaw since she is the oldest out of all of them."

Wildpaw looked at her brother and fallenpaw who mewed their congratulations. Wildpaw was sad her brother and friend couldn't join but she didn't want it to ruin her excitement.

She kneeded the ground in excitement as Foxstar continued," The cats that will be joining Wildpaw will obviously be her mentor, Nightscar, as well as Silversong, Vixenshade, and starlingtail. Sometime before the gathering tonight, I need the cats I've named to go to Dawneyes for the traveling herbs."

Wildpaw saw soulpaw get up at the whisk of Dawneyes tail and head inside the medicine cat den. Shes probably gathering the herbs, she thought.

Turning back to Foxstar, Wildpaw listened as he gave the lead to Needlepelt.

Needlepelt stepped forward onto the tree stump as Foxstar went down to wait as he addressed the clan for the patrols.

The dark brown tom glanced down towards his son, fallenpaw briefly, a look a pride in his eyes, before he yowled. 'Alright. For Dawn patrol, Rainbelly will lead." Looking down at the pale grey she cat, he continued, "Choose the cats youd like to take with you."

Rainbelly dipped her head before standing, "I'd like for Deerfoot and her apprentice, as well as Silversong to join me"

The cats she called dipped their heads in acknowledgement. Scratchpaw turned and whispered in Wildpaws ear, "I hope theres no problem with Riverclan. I'm supposed to start a battle training afterwards so I won't know anything right now."

Wildpaw layed her tail on her brothers black pelt, "Don't worry. Lightningstar doesn't want a problem with us. It was already shameful enough her warrior turned on her in front of us so shell probably ask her patrols to be as neutral as possible with us in order to make us forget about it. "

Scratchpaw looked at her for a few heartbeats before flicking his ear in agreement. "I guess so." he mewed quietly.

Both cats turned back to their deputy as he named the hunting and dusk patrols. Wildpaw and her mentor nightscar had been assigned to Hunting patrol with Vixenshade and her mother, puddlespots. Once needlepelt was done assigning jobs, he ended the meeting and jumped off the stump, joining Foxstar and following him into his den. Wildpaw stood up, waving goodbye to her brother and Fallenpaw as they headed out for patrol. Watching them go, she jumped when she felt a tail flick her ear.

Looking to her right, she saw Nightscar beckoning her with his white tipped tail, "Come on, The patrols waiting for us."

Wildpaw nodded and followed him to the entrance of camp. After a few heartbeats, her mother came padding up to her. With a purr, the black and white she cat licked her kit over her ears.

Wildpaw edged away from her, grumbling, "Mom! Stop it! You're embarressing me!"

Nightscar gave a light chuckle watching as Puddlespots continued to try to groom her fur.

Puddlespots purred, "I'm sorry sweetie. I'm just excited to be going on hunting patrol with my daughter!"

Wildpaw rolled her eyes but smiled. It was going to be interesting going hunting with her mother for the first time. Rolling her shoulders in excitement, she saw Vixenshade bound over to the group of waiting cats.

"Sorry! Dawneyes wanted to check my shoulder before I went!", she explained in a hurry.

Nightscar flicked his tail, "Whats wrong with your shoulder?"

Vixenshade mewed in response, " I wretched my shoulder a few days ago trying to catch this bird."

Nightscar nodded before sweeping his tail for the she cats to follow him, as he had been set as the head of the patrol.

"Hopefully that won't affect the amount of prey you can catch", he mewed over his shoulder.

Vixenshade raised her dark ginger head hautily, "Don't worry. Behind Deerfoot, I'll catch a good amount."

Wildpaw followed behind Nightscar as she padded beside her mother.

Nightscar mewed," Alright. Lets go hunt near the twoleg place since we haven't gone there in a while. It should have plenty of prey."

The cats mewed in agreement as they padded toward the twoleg place.

Once at the twoleg fence, Nightscar addressed the group,"Alright, Everycat go their own way, except Wildpaw, stay with me. We'll hunt until we have at least 3 pieces each and then we'll meet back here beside this pine tree. I'll mark it in case you get lost"

Turning to the tall Pine tree near him, Nightscar stood on his backpaws and scratched away at the tree until a deep wound was present.

Looking back at the she cats he mewed, "Alright. Lets go"

Vixenshade immediatly turned and padded off towards the far end of the twoleg fence heading toward Riverclan territory. Wildpaw watched her as Puddlespots took a few heartbeats to decide where to go.

"Why did she go so far?" Wildpaw asked

Puddlespots laughed, "Vixenshade has always been known to be extremely independent and prideful. Nightscars comment must have annoyed her."

Nightscar rolled his eyes, "Shes acting like a kit if what I said got her tail in a twist. She should know that in that direction are less places for prey to hide so there won't be much."

Puddlespots shrugged her shoulders, "Well, she cats are stubborn. Anyways, Ill go this way. See you two soon" she mewed before padding off in the opposite direction of Vixenshade.

Nightscar looked down at Wildpaw and asked, "Can you scent anything? We'll try to hunt somewhere in this area."

Wildpaw nodded and opened up her mouth to scent for prey.

"I faintly smell some mice and a vole." she answered.

Nightscar flicked his tail," Alright. Try to catch something. I'll be watching you from afar."

Wildpaw leapt up and nodded before scenting again. Deciding on the vole, which wasn't too far away, She padded off in its direction. Opening her mouth every few heartbeats to see how strong the voles scent was, she finally saw it sniffing around the ground. Crouching down, she stalked forward, thanking starclan that the wind was in the right direction for the vole not to smell her. Once she was close enough, she waited a few heartbeats to leapt. But a heartbeat too late, the vole turned and noticed her ginger pelt against the brown surroundings. Rushing off in fear, Wildpaw growled in annoyance before giving chase to the small brown vole. It moved fast into the bushes and she stopped before she got a face full of leaves. Swiping at the ground in annoyance, she cut deep slashed into the floor. Hearing a thump of something jumping out from a tree she saw Nightscar straighten himself out from leaping out of a pine a few tail lengths away.

Wildpaw looked at the ground apologetically, "Sorry. I took too long and it saw me."

Nightscar padded past her, his voice comforting, "No worries. Theres more prey where that came from."

Wildpaw followed her mentor as he scented for new prey.

"I smell a snake. Would you like for me to catch it or do you want to try again?" he asked

Wildpaw shook her head," No you can try. I've never hunted snake so I don't know how to do it."

Nightscar nodded, "Very well. I forgot that I haven't taught you how to deal with a snake, so its better you watch."

The black pelted tom headed towards the scent of the snake nonchalantly.

Wildpaw padded after him curiously, "Shouldn't we be more quiet?" she whispered.

Her mentor chuckled, "Not with snakes. Unlike most prey, they have better senses than us, so it'll know we are there way before we know it's there. That is the dangerous part though so when I tell you, stand back"

Wildpaw nodded and after a few heartbeats of tracking the snake, Nightscar held up his white tipped tail for the ginger and white apprentice to stay back.

Nightscar crouched low, stalking forward while scanning the brush. His black pelt blended in with the dark pine around him, his white tail tip the only thing visible.

"Now," he whispered, "This snake may be dangerous, so always locate his head before you continue" He flicked his tail in the direction of a light brown snake with dark blotches on its back slowly making its way towards a dead tree.

"When you leap," Nightscar continued, "You must go for the head, Bite down and do not let go until it stops moving no matter what. And keep your paws out of its fangs way. You don't want to get bit"

Wildpaw nodded as she watched the snake move slowly towards a small gap between the tangled roots. If nightscar didn't leap now, the snake would get away. The older black tom gathered his haunches and after a heartbeat more, he leapt and planted his huge paws on the snakes backside. Before it could whip around his buried his teeth in the snakes head crunching down on its hard skull. The snake let out a hiss and whipped its body around frantically, wrapping its tail around nightscars forelegs. Nightscar growled and bit down harder on the snake until its furious thrashing ceased. The snakes body fell to the pine floor in a heap. After a heartbeat longer of holding his teeth in its head, Nightscar let go of the snake and it dropped to the floor.

Wildpaw leapt forward meowing, "Wow! That was amazing! And it's so big too! It'll feed the elders for sure!"

Nightscar smiled, "Now that you've seen how its done. Go hunt on your own. And meet the rest of the patrol at the pine tree in a bit."

Wildpaw nodded and scurried off to find some prey.