Finally another chapter. It's a bit small, but meh. I've been postponing getting to the point of this chapter for a while so I just put it in here for filler. :P

Bone owns Warriors soon. He just needs to get his dirt together.

"So these are the most talented and dangerous of all the guards you could come up with? They look a bit scrawny."

As his advisor, Steel had painstakingly persisted in reminding him, it was time to choose the cats that would become the trainers for new members of the Clan. Bone perched comfortably atop his favorite rubbish bin, glaring down at the would-be trainers arranged in front of him. The cold metal surface of the lid stung his paws, but the longer he sat, the warmer it would get. Beside him sat the bulky mass of Autochthon who oversaw the training of all the guards. To bone's mild displeasure, the other cat was slightly bigger than he was, causing the uneven bin to lean in the other direction. Around them, more guards were lined against the sides of the alley while three ragged creatures looked on.

"I assure you only the very best were considered, Bone," the huge gray and ginger tom rumbled, obviously aware of Bone's scathing tone, but not budging a single muscle as he addressed his leader. "And among those few worthy I whittled them down to these three. Scarlet, step forward!"

At the big cat's command the cat to the far right, a dark ginger and white she animal, took a pace towards the bin. Her round amber eyes gazed up at the two much bigger cats on the bin. "What do you want from me?" she mewed softly, her tail twitching slightly giving away her discomfort.

Autochthon turned to Bone, his eyes full of pride. "Don't let her timid temperament fool you, Scarlet was found a house cat only two seasons ago but she has turned into a fine killer and hunter. Just the other day she participated in her first dog hunt and landed the killing blow." He turned back to the skinny she cat. "Tell Bone how many kills you have made since becoming a guard."

Bone eyed the little cat with newfound interest. Maybe having a young fresh trainer wasn't a bad idea. He could imagine the newbies would be inspired by her short yet successful stay in BloodClan.

Scarlet looked shyly down at her paws, revealing the single tooth that studded the back part of her collar. "Cat kills? Just one, sir."

"Only one?" Autochthon snarled, flashing Bone an apologetic glance. "I thought you said you had more kills than that!"

"I have three fox kills and a dog kill, sir," she mumbled, so quietly that Bone could barely hear.

At Bone's long drawn out sigh of displeasure, the big cat gave him another quick glance, a small spark of fear flickering in his eyes. "I apologize, my leader, I thought she had achieved more, my mistake."

Bone flicked his tail dismissively. "I will let her train the newbies, but if she fails, you are the cat I will be looking at to punish. I expect your full commitment the next time I set you up with a task." He gestured with his paw for Scarlet to step back and for the next cat, a larger black and gray tom, to step forward. "And you are?"

The ragged tom had a fresh scratch over one of his eyes, causing the flesh around it to puff out, but it didn't seem to bother him very much. Around his neck clung a gray collar studded with sharp white cat teeth. "They call me 'Hazard', sir."

Autochthon's long tail twitched with excitement, figuring Bone would like this cat much more than the first. "Hazard has been a part of BloodClan almost since the beginning." He dipped his head respectfully. "I can think of no cat better for teaching the scrubs some fighting moves."

Bone stared down at the muscular cat, a typical brawny guard. Now if every cat in BloodClan was like this, they would have no trouble at all wiping out the savages. "How many kills have you made?"

The guard stared back with one fierce green eye, the other eye so swollen it was barely visible. For a moment Bone was reminded of a certain other one-eyed cat, but that wasn't important right now.

"I have made six successful kills, sir, not including kits." His mew wasn't deep, but it wrung with confidence. "Most of them were strays and house cats, but I also brought down a forest cat during the great battle."

Now this one was a keeper! Bone purred, pleased with this choice of trainer. Hazard would get to work training immediately as soon as Lost had rounded them all up. Moving on to the third cat, he eyed the final guard, a sour-white furred she cat with very long limbs and huge paws. She stared back at him hungrily with twinkling green eyes. Everything about this cat hinted foul play.

"And I think you will be pleased with the final pick I made, Bone," rumbled the big cat happily, shuffling his paws slightly and making the whole bin wobble. "Mantis, step forward!"

The white cat took a cool step forward, her eyes never leaving Bone's. "Yes, sensei?" she cooed sweetly, making a deliberate effort to let her long tail tickle Hazard's chin as she passed. The other guard flinched away, a low growl slipping from his lips.

Bone narrowed his eyes. What had Autochthon been thinking offering this slinky creature to train? But then the whole bin started to vibrate and he realize it was the big cat purring. You've been seduced you enormous fool! With a deep sigh, Bone gave the tabby a hefty shove with his head sending him to the ground with a startled yelp. "Thank you Autochthon for finding me the three most promising guards in the Clan. I will be expecting them all to be ready for training tomorrow."

Without giving any of them another glance, Bone waved with his paw for them to leave. He didn't care what intent these cats had as long as they fulfilled their duties. Autochthon lead the three guards down the ally, his fur ruffled along his back.

Within moments they were gone. With the trainers situation dealt with, Bone reached his paws out and down the side of his bin, letting his claws get hooked in the metal flap and relishing having it all to himself again. Even though it wasn't even sun high yet his paws felt like they had been walking all day and he looked forward to a long nap.

Hopping down onto the ground, he turned and made his way over to an old tire on its side with a raggedy blanket lining the inside. He could only imagine how well the new trainers would turn out, he definitely expected big things from that Hazard kitty, but the others he wasn't so sure. But that would be a problem for another day. He settled down and closed his eyes.

"Oh no you don't!"

It hadn't been a single heartbeat before his eyes flew open again. With a snort of frustration, he got to his paws as his advisor crawled out of the shadows of the alley. She always had a way of sneaking up on him when he least expected and least enjoyed it. "For the love of cat food, what do you want from me now?" he groaned as the silver she cat stepped up to him.

Steel stopped with her face just a few whisker lengths from his own. "Seriously, Bone, I feel like without a fire under your tail you wouldn't do anything around here apart from sleep. Titus says another pack of rogues has sprung up and is harassing the guards stationed by the library."

"Hmm?"

"Titus! The captain of the guard you useless fluffy pillow!"

"I know who Titus is!" He spat back, unsheathing his claws and letting them sink into the rubber. "I'll get Lost to find out who the leader of these rogues is next time I see her." He lowered his head down beneath the rim of his odd bed so he couldn't see the she creature. "Now leave me, or I really will have you killed."

Review if you can, always appreciated.