Riversong and Sunpaw watched the huge monster roar across its Thunderpath, making its strange huffing and puffing noises as it went. Their pelts bristled and their ears flattened. The noise was incredible. Sunpaw was shaking. "RIVERSONG!" he yowled above the monster's din, "WHAT IS THAT THING!"

"I DON'T KNOW! IT'S NOT LIKE THE MONSTERS I'VE SEEN!" his mentor howled in reply.

The two cats had a rude awakening at dawn. They had been sleeping peacefully until the monster had begun its loud crossing over their den. Startled, the two cats had fled their sanctuary to watch the unnatural creature go on its noisy way. Now they sat side by side outside, watching it thunder over their den. They gave up trying to talk over the racket. Mentor and apprentice, reunited just the night before, watched the monster with the body segmented like that of an insect pass. Finally, it was gone, leaving the sickening odor of smoke in its wake.

Riversong took a deep breath. "Well, that was...interesting," she meowed optimistically. Sunpaw looked up at her curiously.

"What did you say?" he asked. His ears were still ringing from the monster's noise.

"I said we're either going to have to get used to the noise or find a new place to stay," Riversong told him.

Sunpaw stretched out his young body. He yawned. "How many more monsters like that could there possibly be?" he asked, "Did you see how bulky that one was? You never see monsters that fat anymore. It's probably the last of its kind."

"Poor thing," Riversong murmured. Sunpaw looked up at her questioningly. "It must be hard, being the last of your kind. But, we are not monsters. We are cats."

"Thank StarClan!" Sunpaw cried.

"And it's time we kept going with your training, Sunpaw," meowed Riversong, "Just because we're not a part of DuskClan doesn't mean we're exempt for the traditions. StarClan is still watching us."

Sunpaw recalled how he and his mentor had watched the stars of Silverpelt shine down on the entrance of their new den the previous night. They had taken it as StarClan's message that they had done the right thing, and that their warrior ancestors had not forsaken them. He nodded. "What are we going to do today?" he asked.

"I suppose we could work on your fighting skills," Riversong told him after a pause, "We might need to keep them well-honed." She took a step back. "Attack me."

Sunpaw sized the gray she-cat up. He knew she was far bigger than he was, so a full on assault was out of the question. He needed some way to catch her off guard so he could knock her down. The reddish tom thought hard until the idea came to him. He raced towards her. Riversong, instead of crouching low as he had expected, reared up onto her hind legs. Sunpaw tried to escape, but Riversong landed on his tail, trapping him there.

"Not a bad thought," she hissed, "But you came in too far. I suggest the next time you try that, you don't come so close. That way, if they try and land on you as I just did, you can run for it." She released Sunpaw.

Sunpaw panted. He was trying to think of a new plan. Riversong's gaze was constant and piercing; for a moment, Sunpaw believed she was reading his mind. He shook his head. What was something Radiantpaw would do? The thought of his little sister sent a spike of longing through Sunpaw's heart. He sighed. Then he recalled a mock fight he had witnessed between Radiantpaw and her mentor, Sleetfur. Radiantpaw had darted from side to side in her approach. Sleetfur had tried to keep track of the white apprentice, but by the time Radiantpaw had stood still, she was seated on Sleetfur's back, looking triumphant.

The red tom attempted his sister's trick. He wove from left to right in front of Riversong. The she-cat crouched down and swept her stare from side to side. "Faster, Sunpaw!" she hissed, "You have to move faster if you want it to work!" Sunpaw hunkered down as if to spring. Riversong again reared up onto her hind paws. Sunpaw ducked under her belly and exited from the side, crawling onto her back. Riversong slumped to the ground and gave a pretend howl of submission as Sunpaw's tiny fangs pricked the back of her neck. The apprentice jumped off.

"How was that?" he mewed.

"Pretty good," Riversong admitted, shaking dust from her pelt, "I noticed you like some of Radiantpaw's techniques. They're good, but you need to develop some of your own."

Sunpaw nodded. "Tell me some of your favorites," he said, "Maybe you can give me some ideas."

"Well, I prefer to overpower. You know, use my size to its full advantage. That's also a good technique for you to think about. When you're fully grown, I bet you'll be as big as a badger. Radiantpaw, on the other paw, is going to be built like a sapling: wiry and tall. She would be the cat to work speed to its full advantage."

"So I should think about tackling enemies and holding them down?" Sunpaw asked.

"I guess you could say that," Riversong replied, "Wingfoot would always tell me 'Remember, Riverpaw: if you can go with size, go with it. If you can't...well, the warrior who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.'"

"But isn't that dishonorable?"

"Running away from a battle? Depends. If you're alone, not really. You've only got your own life to save and no one else's. If you're with others, it is. Who knows how the others will fare without your help?"

Sunpaw nodded. He tucked this new knowledge carefully away. He now had a new system: if Riversong said it, it was important and had to be remembered. Riversong yawned. "Hey, let's work on some hunting," she meowed, "I could eat a fox!"

She watched Sunpaw leap into the surrounding bushes, purring to herself. Well, he's enthusiastic, I'll grant him that. Such a great hunter.

Sunpaw opened his mouth and breathed in the scents of the world around him. Monster-smoke, insects, green things, and...bird. Sunpaw's mouth began to water. He was starving. He hadn't eaten since yesterday morning. Apprentices weren't allowed any fresh-kill until they had hunted for the elders, and Riversong had been with Healingtouch all morning. He stalked around until he spotted it. A robin! Those are the best. So juicy and fat... He prowled closer to the bird, which was pulling a worm from the ground.

Riversong watched from a distance as Sunpaw crept closer to his meal. She didn't want to move for fear of breaking the silence of anticipation. Go, Sunpaw, go! she urged in her thoughts. Sunpaw sprang. The robin gave a few startled flaps of its wings before Sunpaw sunk his fangs deep into its neck. The bird fell still, dead. Sunpaw looked up at his mentor. Riversong's eyes glowed warmly.

"Great catch, and kill, Sunpaw!" she meowed. Sunpaw purred and scraped a few fern fronds over the carcass before scenting the air again. Riversong nudged him. "You go that way, I'll go this way. Don't go too far. Yowl if you need help."

With that, she stalked off into the ferns. She sniffed the dirt. The warm scent of a rabbit reached her. She recalled how Sunpaw had brought her a rabbit when she had been with Healingtouch the day before. She hadn't gotten a chance to eat that piece of prey. The gray queen kept her nose to the forest floor as she prowled around. The smell had been fresh; the rabbit couldn't have gone far. Riversong sighted it over a small hill. The rickety Thunderpath was beneath its paws. She crept nearer and nearer until finally...she sprung!

The rabbit gave a squeal of fear as eight razor-sharp claws pierced its flesh. Riversong bit deep into the back of its neck. Only when she looked up did she see its terrified kits, huddled in a hollow by the Thunderpath. She dropped the rabbit. "Oh great StarClan!" she mewed, "What have I done!" Riversong approached the den cautiously. She spoke softly to the rabbitlings. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." One of the kits hopped over to her and began to nibble the grass at her paws. Riversong heaved a sigh of relief. "You eat grass now, do you? Not mommy's milk? You can live without her?"

The tiny rabbit gazed deep into her eyes and said nothing. Riversong wondered why it wasn't afraid of her. She backed away slowly, taking the mother rabbit with her. Once she was out of their sight, Riversong turned tail and fled. She was, embarrassingly, afraid that the babies would hop after her, nipping her tail with their sharp teeth. But when she reached the den, she skidded to a halt, panting. Sunpaw was there. "Hey, Riversong!" he mewed. Riversong looked down at his paws and saw a small heap of fresh-kill. The robin she had seen him catch was there, kept company by two mice, a thrush, and a young rabbit. He looked at her single rabbit, the only prey she had caught. "Hard hunt?" he asked.

"Long story," Riversong replied, looking over her shoulder for the bunnies. Nothing. She shook her pelt out and added her rabbit to Sunpaw's pile. Sunpaw cocked his head to the side.

"Well, whatever happened, it's over now," he meowed, " Let's eat!"