The gentle breeze rustled the branches, a soft melody reaching the cat's ears. The tom purred at the damp air and shade of the forest, sinking into the soft ground under his jet-black paws. He made his way around a thicket and continued his trek through the territory. The caw of a bird made his ear flick. The tom entered a thorn bush, carefully walking through.

The scents of cats hit the roof of his mouth, filling his lungs. Weaving through the different pelts, the black cat made his way to a pile of lizards, frogs, and snakes, and took a slimy green frog from the heap. Making his way to a bramble bush, he laid down and began to peel the wet, slimy skin from his prey.

"Nightpaw." Turning his head to the sound of his name, the apprentice fixed his copper eyes on a white she-cat.

Nightpaw purred. "Hi, Minnowstep," he greeted. His mentor took a few pawsteps to him and ran her tongue between his ears.

"We're going out hunting in a soon," she told him.

Nightpaw's copper eyes glimmered. He looked down at the frog in his paws, then up at Minnowstep.

The warrior flicked her white ear and a faint rumble of joy could be heard. "Okay," she said, "you can eat first." She padded away and the black tom purred as he tore into his food.

Gulping down the first bite, Nightpaw saw two toms enter the camp, one with a dark gray pelt, and the other with a red tabby pelt. "Smokepaw! Rowanpaw!" he called to his brothers. The two apprentices made their way over to the black cat, their tails held high.

"Hello, Nightpaw," Smokepaw meowed.

Nightpaw flicked his white-tip tail. "How are you, Rowanpaw?" he asked the red tabby. His brother nodded in response. Still not much of a talker, Nightpaw thought.

Nightpaw took another bite of his frog. "What are your mentors teaching you?"

The dark gray apprentice lifted his chin. "Cinderfoot is teaching me about the other Clans," Smokepaw answered.

Rowanpaw's whiskers twitched, "battle."

Minnowstep strolled back over to her apprentice. "Nightpaw, are you finished?" she inquired.

The seven-moon-old tom purred as he sat up after finishing his prey. "Yes, let's go!" Nightpaw raced through the thorn tunnel, Minnowstep trotting after him.

The two made their way to a burnt sycamore tree, and Nightpaw turned his copper eyes on his mentor. "Okay, I'm ready to hunt!" Some birds in the tree took off, the beating of wings filling his ears. Minnowstep shot him a glare.

Nightpaw shrank back, his belly fur flat against the ground. He purred, "sorry."

The white cat rolled her eyes. "Well, now we have to wait and come back later. Thanks, Nightpaw," she said sarcastically.

Nightpaw padded through the undergrowth, his tail drooping. The rustle of a bush made the young tom freeze, turning his attention in its direction. Instinct controlling him, he crouched low to the ground, creeping forward. Once he was a tail-length away, the rustling stopped.

Nightpaw tilted his head. He was about to push off with his back legs but a blur of white was all he could see as he got pinned to the squishy floor. Mud filling his nose, the black tom shook his head wildly and lashed out at his attacker.

"Hey, hey! It's me!" a voice hissed as the weight moved off.

Nightpaw looked up at a white tom with black ears and yellow eyes.

"Wetpaw?"

"You didn't even see me coming," his best friend purred.

The black apprentice shook himself, "You got that right." Wetpaw wrapped his tail around Nightpaw's neck, leading him away.

"So, what's Shrewflight teaching you?" Nightpaw asked.

"Meditation," the young white tom answered. "What's Minnowstep teaching you?"

Nightpaw flicked his ear. "Hunting."

"Is that all she's going to be teaching you?"

Nightpaw rolled his copper eyes. "Stuff it, birdbrain," he growled. The two soon entered the camp, being met by a light orange tabby.

"About time you two showed up," the tabby hissed, scratching her neck with her hind leg.

"Hello, Snakepaw," Wetpaw grumbled, eyeing a dark gray she-cat as she came over. "Duskpaw," he greeted his sister. Nightpaw gazed at Snakepaw, admiring her light orange fur.

He felt a warm feeling spread through his white chest and found himself purring. The black tom averted his eyes elsewhere. Wetpaw jumped and got into a crouch position, hissing. The apprentices purred and all of them ran in different directions, the white tom running after them.

Oh! That's right! Wasn't expecting Nightpaw to have a crush on Snakepaw, did you? Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Remember to review.