A/N: Alright, training officially started for our little apprentice! Let's see how well he does! :D PLEASE REVIEW
Dustpaw was woken by Ravenpaw the next morning, who was dragging himself out of his nest just before dawn. After watching his brother plod out of the den, Dustpaw tried curling back up to sleep again, but sleep had already escaped his grasp for the day. With a heavy sigh, he sat up and stretched, yawned, and then began to groom the moss out of his fur. Sandpaw and Longpaw were still sleeping on the other side of the den, and he watched them with envy for a moment. They'd be asleep for a while yet before their mentors came for them. Finally, he slipped out of the den to get something to eat. Redtail had just emerged from the warriors den and Dustpaw waved his tail in greeting to his mentor. Redtail nodded in return, then disappeared into Bluestar's den. Runningwind and Mousefur were sharing a shrew by the nettle patch, and Lionheart was sitting on the other side of the warriors den with Frostfur. Early risers.
"Hey, Dustpaw," Frostfur greeted as he passed them heading for the fresh-kill pile. "How was your first day?"
"It was fine." Dustpaw replied, dipping his head respectfully to the two warriors, then clawed a small mouse from the pile, carrying it back to the apprentices den. Just as he was about to settle down and eat, he remembered he was supposed to care for the elders first, and he jumped up, rushing towards their place by the old log. The four old cats were still sleeping peacefully, and Dustpaw realized how early it still was. He wasn't used to waking up like this.
"Don't bother them yet," a voice said behind him, and he turned to see his father standing nearby.
"Sorry, Fuzzypelt. I forgot how early it was."
"Nothing to be sorry for. Go and eat, now, so you're ready when Redtail wants to take you out."
"Yes, Fuzzypelt," Dustpaw meowed simply, nodding to his father and hurrying back to the apprentices den. By the time he had finished his mouse, the sun was climbing the sky steadily, and the rest of the clan was finally rousing. The first to come from the apprentices den was Longpaw, and he looked in high spirits.
"Hey Dustpaw, guess what!"
"What?"
"Darkstripe says I'm going to be assessed today. Redtail's going to be there," Longpaw mewed excitedly then, noticing the disappointed look in Dustpaw's eyes, he quickly added; "Don't worry. I'm sure Redtail will bring you along."
Dustpaw brightened after that and gave his fellow apprentices a cheer of congratulations, wished him good luck, and then watched as the older tom padded away to find his mentor. Moments after that, Redtail finally appeared out of Bluestar's den. He cast one look around at the camp, gave an irritated flick of his tail, and began calling cats for patrols. Dustpaw started towards him, hoping to ask about Longpaw's assessment and if he would be tagging along. As he approached, he heard his mentor muttering to himself.
"You'd think these cats were old enough to sort themselves out for one morning," his eyes caught Dustpaw coming nearer and he perked up suddenly. Dustpaw decided he'd pretend he hadn't heard what the deputy had just muttered. "Dustpaw! I'm glad you're here,"
"Oh, okay. Is there something you needed?"
"Yes. Later I'll be taking Longpaw on his warrior assessment. You'll be tagging along, and maybe you can learn a few things from him as we go along. After the assessment, I thought we'd practice some battle moves."
"That sounds great, Redtail!" Dustpaw meowed happily. When there were no other words from his mentor, he nodded respectfully and backed away, turning to run back to the apprentices den. Halfway there, he ran straight into Sandpaw, who was going for something to eat. They both tumbled over a few times before righting themselves at last. Sandpaw looked irritated and she shook out her fur.
"Watch it, mouse-brain!" though her words were stinging, there was a glint of friendliness in her eyes.
"Sorry!" Dustpaw called as she walked by, continuing on her way for something to eat. As he got closer to the apprentices den, he heard someone else calling his name, and he turned to see Graykit bounding towards him. He looked much steadier on his legs today, but Dustpaw couldn't miss Willowpelt standing by the nursery, her eyes never leaving her only kit. "What's up, Graykit?"
"I'm bored! Let's play!" Graykit demanded, pouncing on Dustpaw's back without waiting for an answer, piercing the brown tabby's fur with sharp claws. Dustpaw yelped and shook the kit off, growling once.
"I don't want to play right now. I'm about to go out with Redtail,"
"But can't we play until then? Please?" Graykit begged, hopping under Dustpaw's nose, his little tail fluffed out. Before Dustpaw could reply, the little grey tom caught sight of his bushed tail and squealed with delight, starting to spin in a circle as he chased his own behind. Dustpaw let out a snort of contempt and continued on his way to the apprentices den. Longpaw had returned by now and was eating the smallest mouse Dustpaw ever saw.
"Don't you need something more than that for your assessment?" he asked the older tom, who just shook his head quickly.
"Oh no. I don't think I could eat more if I tried. I'm nervous,"
"Come on, you're an excellent hunter and fighter from what I've heard," Dustpaw meowed, butting his head against the other apprentices shoulder. "You'll do fine!"
"Yes, but that's not the problem. I'm nervous because Redtail is assessing me. He's such a fierce warrior, I don't know what I'd do if he were disappointed in me." Longpaw said seriously, frowning at the remains of his mouse, then pushed them away.
"You couldn't mess up if you tried!" Dustpaw insisted and Longpaw gave him a grateful look. Before they could say anything else, Redtail called from the camp entrance. Darkstripe was already pacing back and forth beside him. Longpaw gave Dustpaw another look of anxiety and then hopped up to join the two warriors, with Dustpaw scrambling after.
...
"Okay, Longpaw," Redtail began, sitting promptly where he was. They were in the training hollow now, and a soft breeze had ruffled the reddish-tom's fur, making him look even more intimidating than before. "I want you to start here and make a path towards Sunningrocks. From there, go to Snakerocks, and meet us back at camp with your catch. Remember, I'll be watching you,"
"Yes, Redtail!" Longpaw mewed, looking more nervous than ever. When the deputy said nothing else, he dashed off into the trees, leaving Dustpaw and the other two warriors alone. Redtail turned to Dustpaw immediately.
"Okay. I have to follow him and watch his progress, but I'm going to leave you with Darkstripe. He'll teach you some battle moves until I get back."
"Yes, Redtail." Dustpaw nodded to his mentor. At that, Redtail turned and slinked into the trees, following the path that Longpaw had made on his way out. When they were left alone, Dustpaw felt sudden awkwardness. He hadn't really spoken to a lot of the warriors in camp, and Darkstripe was one that he'd only seen walking around. The dark tabby had a glint in his eye that Dustpaw didn't like, and his tail lashed once to the side before he finally spoke.
"Right. Dustpaw, I want you to attack me," Darkstripe ordered, moving across the clearing and taking up a defensive stance. Dustpaw looked surprised, eyes widening slightly.
"But, I don't know any attacks yet!"
"Do your best. Now, attack me." Darkstripe repeated, his tail lashing again. Dustpaw hesitated for another moment, and then dropped into a crouch he hoped was worth something. By the mocking look that entered Darkstripe's eyes, he guessed not. More determined than ever to prove himself now, Dustpaw shifted his paws and glared hard and then pushed up with his back legs as hard as he could. Halfway down, right before he could land on Darkstripe's back, the other tom rolled to the side and batted Dustpaw away. He hit the ground hard and rolled several paces before he could stand properly, and his fur was hot with embarrassment.
"What was that?" Darkstripe demanded. Dustpaw couldn't face him, dropping his head and returning to his starting position. Perhaps noticing how defeated the apprentice looked, Darkstripe spoke again, and his gentler tone made Dustpaw look up. "That's alright. You're learning. You're not expected to master the skill just yet. Let's go again. This time, I'll attack, and you defend yourself." Darkstripe dropped down into a crouch that Dustpaw didn't recognize, but he made sure to take note of it, so he could remember it later on. Even before Darkstripe reminded him to watch his movements, Dustpaw was already taking note of everything the other cat did. He circled in the clearing with his opponent, noticing the way his eyes darted from side to side trying to find a weak point in Dustpaw's defense. At last, Darkstripe met Dustpaw's gaze and leaped at him. At first it looked like he was going to try and land on Dustpaw, and the younger tom was ready to roll out of the way, but at the last minute, Darkstripe hit the ground just in front of Dustpaw's nose and batted the side of his muzzle.
"Wow!" Dustpaw exclaimed. He knew that in real battle, that move would have caused a lot of damage on his cheek, and he was impressed. "That was amazing! I thought for sure you were going to jump on me."
"That's the trick," Darkstripe mewed, his whiskers twitching at the apprentices' awe. "Come on, you try now."
"Okay!" Dustpaw said eagerly, his eyes shining as he crouched and tried to repeat the move. Of course, his first few attempts were off completely, and he was fended off easily. However, as he repeated the move more, he got the hang of it, and by the time Redtail came padding back into the hollow, Dustpaw had perfected the move. He landed promptly in front of Darkstripe and scored his sheathed paws on the other tom's muzzle.
"Very good, Dustpaw!" Redtail praised his apprentice, looking pleased at the progress. Dustpaw felt warmth spread through him at the compliment and purred lightly.
"Thanks, Redtail. Darkstripe's a good teacher,"
"Good. Let's head back to camp, I need to report to Bluestar." the deputy meowed, and he led the other two out of the hollow. Dustpaw followed in good spirits. He had only learned one move today, but it was better than knowing nothing at all. He hoped that Redtail would teach him even more soon, but also knew that he would have to learn how to hunt sooner. It was one of the apprentices main duties to take care of elders, and that included hunting for them. If he couldn't hunt properly, he wouldn't be able to do his duties to the clan.
...
Upon entering the camp, Dustpaw saw that Ravenpaw was relaxing by the apprentices den. Immediately, Dustpaw turned to greet him. The black tom looked even more tired than the day before, but at least looked calm now he was getting some rest. Dustpaw felt like he could train for hours still, but didn't mention that in front of Ravenpaw - as he knew Tigerclaw was a tough warrior and couldn't imagine what kind of training his brother was getting.
"Hey," he greeted, stopping in front of the other apprentice. Ravenpaw jumped at the sound of another voice, eyes flying open immediately and his body tensing. When he realized it was just Dustpaw, his muscles relaxed and he waved his tail briefly. Dustpaw frowned. Usually his brother was much more excited, and it was hard to believe just two days of training would have subdued him so much. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," Ravenpaw mewed dismissively. "I'm expecting Tigerclaw any moment."
"I hope you'll be back for Longpaw's warrior ceremony," Dustpaw commented.
"Did he pass his assessment then? I know he was very anxious about it,"
"Well, not officially. Redtail's talking to Bluestar now, but I just know he passed." Dustpaw shrugged. Ravenpaw had no time to respond, because his mentor was now beckoning impatiently from the camp entrance. Ravenpaw sighed heavily and struggled to his paws, nodding briefly to Dustpaw in farewell, then hurrying to meet Tigerclaw. There was a moment of Tigerclaw saying something sternly to Ravenpaw, and then the pair headed out of camp. Dustpaw decided he'd find his mother, having not spoken to her since his apprentice ceremony. After a quick glance around, he saw her sitting with Brindleface near the pile of fresh-kill, that had recently been filled thanks to Longpaw - who was nowhere to be seen.
"Dustpaw! What a pleasant surprise!" Robinwing purred as her son approached. "I was expecting you to never speak with me again." her tone was teasing, but Dustpaw still felt annoyance flash through him. How could she ever think such a thing? He wasn't that bad of a kit. Or, perhaps he was, since his motives for speaking with her weren't simply out of friendliness. Shuffling his paws awkwardly, he glanced briefly at Brindleface, who took the signal at once.
"I think I'll go hunting," she said casually, getting to her paws and padding away to look for two more warriors to take with her. When Dustpaw was left alone with his mother, he was still silent, not knowing how to ask her what he wanted to ask. He had seen how hurt she was the night before, and wasn't sure how she'd react to it being brought up again.
"Dustpaw, what's wrong?" Robinwing asked, her eyes clouded with worry.
"N-nothing! I promise!" he assured her, then looked away again. "I...I saw you and Fuzzypelt talking before. I wondered what it was about." he dared to look up at his mother, and her eyes were full of sadness and another emotion Dustpaw couldn't read. She didn't respond right away, and when she did, it was nothing to satisfy Dustpaw's curiosity.
"Dustpaw," she began, drawing him closer with her tail. "I love Fuzzypelt, but I made a mistake once." Dustpaw noticed how her gaze was not on him anymore, but across the clearing at the apprentices den. Longpaw was sitting there now with Sandpaw, who was chattering away in his ear. Dustpaw's eyes widened. Was she saying she wished Longpaw hadn't been born? "One day you will love a cat - don't look at me like that! You don't know yet, but it will happen! - and you will understand, but for now, that's all I can say."
"What was your mistake, Mother?" Dustpaw asked, not able to withhold his curiosity. Robinwing's eyes flashed briefly at him, but then softened once more as she gazed at her son. With a small sigh, the she-cat stood.
"That doesn't matter, Dustpaw. Don't worry too much about it, okay? No matter what happens with Fuzzypelt and I, you won't ever have to worry about it." Robinwing promised, and then she walked off to meet Frostfur, who had just entered camp with her patrol. Patchpelt waved his tail in greeting to her, and Dustpaw couldn't help but notice that his mother pretended that he didn't exist at all. Instead, she turned her back to him, and matched Frostfur's steps across camp. What was that all about? He wondered, not quite understanding just what that meant.