"Again." I said as I sat on a fallen tree. Embertalon faced a low hanging branch to a tree, and took off running at high speed. But not as fast as I would be.
He leaped into the air, opening his wings the slightest to help him rise, and then he clamped his jaw shut on the tree branch, and swung around in a circle. He went around four times before he let go, and fell down to the ground with a thump.
"Again." I said watching carefully. Embertalon looked over at me and asked "What am I doing wrong?" I narrowed my eyes a bit, and said quietly "You need to be faster, and hang on longer. Otherwise, when you preform the real move, you will lose control and could miss your target, hit someone else or even injure yourself." Embertalon looked back to the branch, his teeth marks leaving a deep line in the wood. He turned back to me and said "Then show me how you do it."
"Very well." I said standing up. It took me a while to realize this, but I had only chosen one power really. I can teach anyone this move, mine is just stronger it seems, which is good though. So best to show Embertalon how it is done.
Getting a good distance away from the tree branch, I faced it and looked at where I was aiming too. Then, I took off tearing at the ground with my claws to push me forward faster, and faster. Then, I pushed up with my hind legs and drew back my front ones. I grasped the branch between my jaws and used the speed of which I was going to spin me around.
Using my mussels some of the way, I continued to wind my way around the branch, until I heard a loud snap. Letting go I let myself fall forward, landing on all fours. While I was extremely dizzy, I was still aware that the branch behind me snapped, and fell to the ground.
"Like that." I said shaking my head to clear my vision. Embertalon nodded and selected a new branch, one a little higher than before. I looked to him and said "Don't use your wings when you're rising, only when you're falling and you should gain more speed.
Embertalon nodded and then said "Alright, I'm going to continue training…" He faced the branch and then paused, and asked "Felidaestar, is there a move stronger than this one?"
I leaned down licking my side fur, which had a peace of bark stuck to it and said "Yes and No. There is a move a former enemy of mine created that can stop this move. But it only works for a counter attack against this move."
"Who all knows it?" Embertalon asked and I stopped licking. I thought for a moment and said "Someone who is dead… I don't think he taught it to anyone though." Then Embertalon asked the question that I tried to ignore.
"What if the Forbidden Forest knows that move? Or both of them?"
I stared out into our forest, and thought quietly to myself. I sighed and said "I have only shown this move in detail to five others. Scourge, Nightmare, Flamewing, our past leader Firestar, and … a cat named Darkheart. All of them are good at heart and will never side with the Forbidden Forest. I assure you Embertalon, that we are safe against that move. Embertalon nodded and then when back to training, picking up his speed and trying to spin longer. I lay down in a patch of sunlight, watching my former apprentice train in front of me once again.
A flicker in the woods caught my attention and I raised my head. Was that fur? Was someone watching? Another movement close to that direction made me rise. But to my relief. I saw it was a patrol, Smokestorm in the lead with Greystripe, Thornclaw, Mousewisker, Cinderheart and Foxleap.
Embertalon must have saw them too because he stopped in mid spin, and lifted up into the air and used his wings to make him land on the same training branch. We watched them pass by, nodding and saying greetings as they past. I greeted them back and then Cinderheart asked "Are you still going to meet with the leaders tomorrow?"
I mentally smacked myself. How could I forget? Tomorrow was Half Moon. And I need to get Jayfeather and Brindlepaw ready.
"Yes, in fact I was getting ready to go back to Thunderclan and talk with the Medicine cats over it." Embertalon gave me a sharp look and I said to him "You can continue your training so long as you're careful."
"Oh do you need someone to train with Embertalon?" Foxleap asked and Embertalon shook his head no and said "Solo stuff, Foxleap." To prove his point he let one of his wings stretch out, and Foxleap just nodded. I smiled to them all and said "I'll see you all back in camp later." We said our short goodbyes and I headed quickly back for Thunderclan. Leaving Embertalon to train alone.
…
When I arrived back at Thunderclan, it was Sun High, and would be the warmest of the day. Some cats, moved into the shadows of the rock walls, trying to keep cool. Others lay stretched out, soaking up the warm glowing rays.
I padded into the middle of the clearing, and selected a mouse from the Fresh Kill Pile. It was still warm, freshly killed. Carrying it towards the Medicine Den, I stopped by the entrance and sat down. In a few minutes, I had wolfed down the mouse. It was a filling meal, ignoring the fact I almost choked on a bone.
"Hello Felidaestar." Brindlepaw said with her voice muffled as she carried a sparrow and a shrew. Shortly after she spoke, Jayfeather emerged from the den, and nodded to me. Brindlepaw set the shrew in front of him, and sat down to enjoy her own meal. I licked the edges of my mouth to lap up whatever taste and scraps where left.
"Tomorrow is the Half Moon." I said and then Jayfeather muttered through a mouthful "Don't remind me…" Brindlepaw picked feathers off her shrew, one getting stuck in her fur. I smiled kindly at her and asked "How have you been?" She looked up at me, and unlike her siblings I still saw the gentleness of a kit, yet behind that I saw she was more experienced then I could image.
"I have been doing well, Felidaestar. And how about you?" she asked and Jayfeather rolled his blind eyes and said "Can we skip the halfhearted talk? I got herbs that needed to be prepared." I sighed and said "Yes of course… You two are ready for tomorrow correct?" I asked and Brindlepaw looked over at Jayfeather, who shrugged and said "Ready as we will ever be."
"The leaders, they really going to come?" Brindlepaw asked looking back at me. I licked my paw, drawing it over my face and said "I hope so, we need everyone in this."
"Unite or Die." Brindlepaw said softly and I looked up at her. She looked down at her sparrow and said "The clans are strong, and Starclan will be with us. Even if they can't fight by our side they will be there in spirit. I have no doubt that the Clans will win." She smiled at me and I smiled back. Jayfeather's whiskers twitched and said "Brindlepaw, do me a favor and go collect more cobwebs. We are going to need it if the clans are going to fight as hard as you want them too." Brindlepaw nodded, and abandoned her sparrow. She bounded across the clearing and disappeared into the tunnel.
"Felidaestar," Jayfeather called and I looked to him. He then asked "I think Brindlepaw has been an apprentice for long enough, don't you?" All I could do was smile and agree.