Pepperpelt: Thank you!

Sunripple: Yeah, I thought about having him train as a medicine cat for a while, but I don't want him to be seen as all-powerful. I want him flawed, and plus that would distance him from Slashpaw, which isn't good for the rest of the story.

Please review and tell me what you think!

;D

-Silverstripe689

Chapter 5

Strikepaw woke with a start to a sharp paw prod in his side. He groaned, "What do you want?"

"Actually it's not me. It's Dovesoar. She wants you to wake up."

Strikepaw's eyes flew open to see a pointed brown face looking down at him.

"Training! Thanks, Mudpaw."

He jumped up and quickly began to wash his fur, frantically tossing off the moss scraps. Slashpaw ran his tongue over his shoulder, shook out his fur and turned to wait on Strikepaw. His muzzle was twisted into a smile,

"Wake up a little late?"

Strikepaw shot him a look of poison,

"Would it have killed you to wake me earlier?"

"Aww it was your first day, and you seemed to be having a nice dream. Why interrupt?"

Strikepaw rolled his eyes and shook out his fur. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Good. Our mentors are already in the clearing."

Strikepaw hopped out of the den, eyes shining. His first day of training!

He trotted up to Dovesoar and she narrowed her eyes, yet her whiskers gave the slightest twitch. "A little late aren't we? Berrybright, Mudpaw, Tigerstripe, and Tabbypaw are already down at the grass hollow. Duskstar isn't joining us."

Strikepaw opened his mouth to defend himself but Dovesoar twisted and nodded to Sparrowcall. "Come on!"

Both cats took off, leaving the two new apprentices in the dust. Slashpaw took off after them; Strikepaw hesitated for a heartbeat but then tore off after him.

They were running at a full sprint after the older cats, and Strikepaw was exhilarated. Judging from Slashpaw's face he felt the same way. They began to tire as they neared the hollow and collapsed onto the soft grass.

He saw Sparrowcall pull Slashpaw up and Dovesoar came over to him. "Up, up! Let's go!"

Strikepaw climbed to his paws and sat, waiting for his first instruction.

Sparrowcall came forward and meowed, "First, Strikepaw and Tabbypaw, then Slashpaw and Mudpaw. After their done, we'll switch."

Strikepaw's paws ached but he stood and faced Tabbypaw. Her body was lean, yet curvy, and her tabby tail was huge with a white tip.

She suddenly leapt and landed on him, bowling him onto his back. He instinctively convulsed and flung her off. She landed on her side, yet climbed to her paws immediately. She leapt again but he was ready. He curled his paws around her shoulders and kicking out with hind legs flung her the other way. He then leapt up and faced her again. This time he reared up and lashed out with his paw yet missed her muzzle as she jumped back. He lost balance as she lunged for his hind legs and he toppled onto her back. She bucked and he landed hard on the grass. She pounced again and pressed a paw gently on his neck. "I win."

Strikepaw rolled and stood. He coughed out a bit of dirt before turning to Tabbypaw. "You were great, good fight."

She smiled, "You weren't that bad yourself. Good fight."

Strikepaw moved and sat next to Dovesoar, and she smiled. "You did well."

Strikepaw's chest swelled with pride. He had impressed Dovesoar!

Slashpaw and Mudpaw were squaring up. Slashpaw leapt and Mudpaw easily deflected him. Mudpaw leapt on Slashpaw and began bettering him with his hind paws. Slashpaw went limp and Mudpaw faltered. Slashpaw flung up and began battering Mudpaw.

Strikepaw steadily became more and more disturbed. There was a gleam in Slashpaw's navy eyes Strikepaw had never seen before and it scared him. It was power hungry, battle hungry, and bloodthirsty. Finally, Mudpaw flung off the attacking Slashpaw and pinned him, ending the mock fight.

"Well done, Slashpaw!" Sparrowcall praised. She turned to Dovesoar, "Actually, I've seen enough if you would like to move on to hunting training."

Dovesoar nodded, "So have I." She turned to the other apprentices. "Thank you both."

Strikepaw watched Tabbypaw turn back to her mentor Tigerstripe, and he praised her. Strikepaw remembered that Tabbypaw's original mentor was Breezefang before Tigerstripe.

What would I do if Dovesoar died?

He didn't have much time to dwell on it as the mentors had already taken off into the dark forest.

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Strikepaw returned to camp, weary with heavy paws. Slashpaw had lighter spirits, carrying a large frog in his jaws. Strikepaw had come back with empty paws.

Dovesoar had told him not to worry.

"You have plenty of time, remember, there's always tomorrow."

"That's a nice frog, Slashpaw!" called Mudpaw.

"Thanks!" Slashpaw yowled.

Strikepaw slipped into the comforting darkness of the apprentice den. His head was still swirling from the fights earlier today and for some reason he couldn't get the fight with Tabbypaw out of his head. Her cunning…her grace…

Then there was Slashpaw's fight. That glint scared Strikepaw. Was his brother bloodthirsty? He had heard the stories of Tigerstar but surely his brother wouldn't turn out like that.

Suddenly everything had changed. Slashpaw and him weren't kits anymore. He couldn't go help Stonestripe mix herbs, but maybe, maybe he could talk to him…

Strikepaw stood but his legs screeched protest. Tomorrow…yes…tomorrow.

Strikepaw curled into his nest and closed his eyes. Later he felt Slashpaw creep in and press up next to him, he sighed.

Surely his brother couldn't be evil.

Surely?

Sorry, short chapter! Trying to introduce the plot! Leave a review!

QOTC (Question of the chapter): What do you think is wrong with Slashpaw? Is Strikepaw just overreacting?