Chapter 12—Trainning and Talks

The next morning Smallpaw woke extra early. She was wide awake so she decided to get out of the hot den and practice her hunting and fighting skills. She was intently fighting a leaf when Firestar walked out of his den in the other side of the clearing, he sat down and watched his apprentice (and daughter) amazed at how well she was doing even before her first training session. He was very glad he had made her an apprentice at the same time as all the others because she certainly deserved it.

"Hey Smallpaw," he called. She stopped, stunned and slightly embarrassed that someone had been watching her, lifted her paw off the leaf she had been pinning to the ground and walked over to her father.

"Hi," she said in a low voice, 'I…I was just practicing some hunting and fighting… How was I doing?" "Pretty well, especially considering I haven't taken you out yet." Really? Thanks Dad." "If you go get Spottedpaw I'll go get Lionmane and the four of us can go down to the training hallow and practice fighting." he suggested. "Okay!" she replied excitedly bouncing off and into the den.

"Spottedpaw… Spottedpaw!" "Huh?" came a mumbled reply. "Spottedpaw get up! We get to go out and practice fighting! Hurry, they'll be waiting!" "I'm coming." she groaned, rolling out of her bed and following her sister to where their mentors were waiting.

"So Spottedpaw, are you ready for our first session?" asked Lionmane. "I guess so" she mumbled. "Right, well let's head out then."

They arrived at the hallow and trained and worked on hunting fighting and the warrior code for a very long time. At the end of it all Smallpaw was already a warrior level fighter and close to that in hunting. Spottedpaw was good in self defence and average in hunting but Firestar had noticed that she hadn't seemed very enthusiastic about the whole thing. "Smallpaw you and Loinmane can head back, I just want to talk with Spottedpaw for a minute." "Okay! Let's hunt on the way home Lionmane!"

After they had left Firestar sat beside Spottedpaw and said, "How did you like that?" She shrugged her shoulders and mumbled that it was okay. "Really? You didn't seem all that interested in it." "I didn't?" "No you didn't…. Is something wrong? You know you can tell me." "You won't understand though…" "You'd be surprised at what I can understand. Try me." "Okay…. It's just that… that… I don't know if I'm cut out to be a warrior." "What do you mean? You were great at defending yourself today. All you have to do is practice." "I knew you wouldn't get it," she breathed softly, "I meant that I don't think I want to be a warrior." "OH" he said, "Well then what else do you think you would do?" "Well I'd love to be a medicine cat, they get to help the clan in a different way, they get to heal the sick cats, they get to bring new kits into the world and they give messages from Starclan. I thought maybe Lightnose could use an apprentice, that way warriors wouldn't have to go out for herbs as much." "You seem to have given this a lot of thought…. Why didn't you talk to me or Mom?" "I didn't realize how much I thought about it… and, I was worried you or Mom or the rest of the clan wouldn't approve." "Why would you think that?" "Because everyone is always talking about what an honour it will be when we become warriors." "It's just that's what most of the cats become, only very special cats ever become medicine cats." "Do you think I'm special enough?" "Of course you are! You know, you were named after a medicine cat." "Really?" "Yep. Her name was Spottedleaf, she was the medicine cat when I first came to the clan." Wow…" sighed Spottedpaw. "Let's head back and get this ball rolling… if it all goes well we can have the apprenticeship ceremony at sun-down, Okay?" "Okay…. Thanks Dad." "That's what I'm here for…"


So I'm back form my holiday, unfortunatly I only got one chapter written while I was gone :( I've been trying to think of a direction to take this story in... If anyone has any ideas i'd love to hear them... I still have quite a few chapters already written so the current plot isn't dried up yet. FFP