Chapter 5.2
The next morning, Firepaw and Greypaw woke up and left the apprentice den quietly. As they did, Firepaw saw Sandpaw and Dustpaw sleeping and Chestnutpaw about to wake up. Ignoring the obvious signs that Dustpaw and Sandpaw were sleeping, Firepaw approached behind Sandpaw and was about to tap her shoulder, but Greypaw stopped him with his tail.
"Don't do that. You'll hear about the gathering later, if I know what happens if these two were woken up rudely." He warned; whispering.
Greypaw escorted Firepaw out of the apprentice's den and headed to the camp entrance. Suddenly, both cats stopped when they saw Ravenpaw at the entrance; looking down and unhappy. Greypaw was overjoyed and ran up to him with Firepaw behind him.
"Ravenpaw!" he called out.
Ravenpaw perked up and looked over and saw Greypaw and Firepaw approaching him. Ravenpaw gave a weak smile.
"Hey Greypaw." He meowed.
"Hi Ravenpaw, how are you?" Greypaw greeted.
"I'm fine, a bit sore, but I'm fine." He meowed.
"That's good. How's your wing?" Greypaw asked.
"It's fine. Spottedleaf said I should be careful, though." Ravenpaw meowed.
Firepaw noticed that Ravenpaw looked unhappy and depressed. Firepaw looked at Greypaw and only saw him looking happy. He patted Ravenpaw's back.
"Cheer up. I know you don't like training, but you're not usually this miserable." Greypaw said comforting.
"I guess I'm just worried about my wounds opening up again, that's all." Ravenpaw meowed softly.
"Warriors should suffer their pain silently." A voice growled.
Firepaw, Greypaw, and Ravenpaw looked and saw Tigerclaw, Lionheart, and Bluestar a few feet behind them. Bluestar glared at Tigerclaw while Lionheart ignored his comment and smiled. Tigerclaw glared at the three apprentices, but mostly at Ravenpaw.
"You should learn to hold your tongue." He growled.
Ravenpaw looked down as Firepaw and Greypaw glared at Tigerclaw.
"Tigerclaw's a bit grumpy today." Greypaw murmured.
Tigerclaw, Lionheart, and Bluestar walked pass the three apprentices and all six cats left camp. They stopped when they got outside and Lionheart, Tigerclaw and Bluestar turned around and looked at the three apprentices.
"Now Ravenpaw, you know Firepaw, right?" Lionheart asked.
"Yes, we met in the medicine cat den." He nodded.
"Good. Now that you two know each other, we can get to the important things. Today, we are going to practice stalking, now there is a big difference between creeping up on a rabbit and creeping up on a mouse. Can any of you tell me what the difference is?" Lionheart meowed.
Firepaw couldn't answer a question he didn't know, but Ravenpaw and Greypaw looked confident.
"Come on!" Tigerclaw growled impatient.
"A rabbit can smell and hear you coming." Ravenpaw meowed.
"And a mouse will feel your pawsteps through the ground, even before it smells you." Greypaw added.
"Exactly! So what must you bear in mind when hunting mice and rabbits?" Lionheart asked.
"Step lightly." Firepaw guessed.
"Very good, Firepaw." Bluestar meowed impressed.
"Quite right, Firepaw. You must take all your weight into your haunches, so that your paws make no impact on the forest floor. Now, I want you all to try it." Lionheart ordered.
Firepaw felt pride when Bluestar and Lionheart said that and he watched Greypaw and Ravenpaw do a hunting crouch, then he tried.
"Keep your rear down, Ravenpaw! You look like a duck!" Tigerclaw hissed.
After Ravenpaw corrected himself, each apprentice crept onto the forest floor. If Bluestar wasn't telling Firepaw that his crouch was wrong, then he knew he was doing it right. He made sure to step forward silently and lightly and was surprised to feel his muscles react so well. All three apprentices stopped and looked at their mentors.
"Well done Greypaw." Lionheart praised.
Greypaw smiled at his mentor as Firepaw smiled as well, but Tigerclaw didn't look too happy at Ravenpaw and Firepaw. He looked at Firepaw with rage.
"Well it's obvious you've known nothing but softness, you stalk like a lumbering kittypet! Do you think your dinner is going to come and lie down in your food and wait to be eaten?" Tigerclaw growled.
Firepaw flinched in embarrassment and his ears were down. Bluestar glanced at Tigerclaw.
"Firepaw's hunting crouch was perfectly balanced, his pace and forward movement will come later. Firepaw's only been an apprentice for two days." Bluestar pointed out.
"Which is better than Ravenpaw. Even after two moons of training, you're still putting all your weight on your left side!" Tigerclaw complained.
"It's his injury that's bothering him, that's all." Firepaw pointed out.
"Injuries are a fact of life. He should be able to adapt, even you have learned something today. If Ravenpaw picked up things as quickly as you, he'd be a credit instead of an embarrassment to me. Imagine being shown up by a powerless kittypet!" Tigerclaw hissed.
"That's enough!" Bluestar snapped.
Tigerclaw, Firepaw, and Ravenpaw flinched, had their ears down, and looked at Bluestar with wide eyes; Greypaw and Lionheart looked at her uncomfortable. Bluestar calmed down and gave a gentle look at Ravenpaw.
"I get it, it was your first battle and your first injury. I know you were resting for two days, but can you try to ignore the pain please?" Bluestar asked gently.
"Yes Bluestar." Ravenpaw meowed.
"And Firepaw, your hunting crouch was perfect, your stalking was very light too. I didn't hear a thing." Bluestar meowed; smiling.
"Thank you Bluestar." He meowed happy.
Bluestar glared at Tigerclaw, but said nothing. All three apprentices sat up and looked at their mentors.
"Now, I want each of you to try catching prey. Ravenpaw, check beside the owl tree or try to fly to the branches to catch prey if you can. Greypaw, check that big bramble bush over there and Firepaw, follow that rabbit track over the rise. There's a dry bed of a winter stream, you might find something. Does everyone get it?" Lionheart instructed.
"Got it!" all three apprentices meowed.
"Good, now go." Lionheart meowed.
"Hold on a second. Ravenpaw, try not to fly to the sky please, Tigerclaw and Halftail haven't taught you that yet, okay?" Bluestar meowed.
"Yes Bluestar." Ravenpaw meowed.
"Good, now go." She meowed.
Greypaw raced off and Firepaw saw Ravenpaw fly off. He was amazed by how Ravenpaw could fly like that, but he snapped out of it and raced into the dry winter stream. Firepaw ran passed a thicket of sticks and dirt and made it to the stream. He stopped and sniffed the air, and saw a mouse run past him. Firepaw followed it lightly and then got into a crouch. He crept through the grass and made sure to keep his weight into his haunches until striking distance. When the time came, Firepaw raced after the mouse and as the mouse ran off, Firepaw was quick. He threw the mouse into the air and swat it down with his paw, then he killed it with just one bite. Firepaw picked up the warm body and raced straight back to the area where Bluestar, Tigerclaw, and Lionheart were waiting. When Firepaw arrived, Lionheart smiled, Tigerclaw puffed, and Bluestar was more than impressed.
"Well done Firepaw." She meowed.
Firepaw was overjoyed and felt pride. He was a real Thunderclan apprentice now and nothing was going to change that.
