Chapter 3

Firepaw quivered under Tigerclaw's harsh gaze, waiting for one of his friends to speak up because he certainly wasn't going to. Graypaw, the boldest of the four apprentices, looked Tigerclaw straight in the eyes.

"We were showing him ThunderClan territory so you wouldn't have to waste time doing it. Now you can teach us to hunt, or fight." Graypaw mewed. Firepaw could hear a growl welling deep in Tigerclaw's throat, but before the great warrior could speak, Bluestar stepped in.

"Tigerclaw, a tour of the territory was a good idea, now we can head straight to the training hollow and these four apprentices can learn some fighting skills." Tigerclaw looked as if would have liked to argue with his leader but he held himself back.

All seven cats bounded into the sandy hollow and the three mentors paced back and forth in front of the younger cats.

"Firepaw, you first." Bluestar meowed. Firepaw stepped forward, eager to please his mentor. On Bluestar's instructions, Firepaw crouched low in front of the gray she-cat and crept slowly forward. He reared up onto his hind legs and prepared to bring down his paws on Bluestar. Suddenly, unexpectedly, Bluestar rolled onto her back and pushed up with all four legs, catching Firepaw in the belly and tossing him aside. Firepaw got shakily to his paws; embarrassed that he had let his mentor beat him, in front of his friends, too. Firepaw got back into position but Bluestar shook her head.

"Lionheart and Graypaw will go next," she mewed. "We will rotate so every cat gets a turn." Firepaw nodded and took his place at the edge of the clearing to watch Graypaw and his mentor. Graypaw crouched down, stalking inexpertly around the golden tabby. Lionheart did the same thing, and they crept at each other in circles, waiting for a moment to strike. Graypaw drew back his lips in a snarl and leaped straight at Lionheart's paws. He propelled himself toward his mentor and crashed into him, sending them both toppling into the dust.

"Well done, young Graypaw," Lioneart meowed. "I guess it is Ravenpaw's turn next." The black apprentice looked positively terrified at the thought of training with Tigerclaw, but Firepaw knew that his black friend was only overwhelmed by the dark warrior's power.

Ravenpaw and Tigerclaw started with the same technique that the pair before them had used. Both cats dropped to a stealthy crouch and stalked around each other in tight circles. Ravenpaw obviously didn't have a clue what he was doing, so he and his mentor walked in circles until Ravenpaw got very dizzy and fell right over. Firepaw was about to laugh, but he held himself back. He knew it would not make his friend happy.

"Pathetic," Tigerclaw snarled. "Absolutely pathetic. I've seen kits do better." Ravenpaw's tail drooped and he walked back to the other cats. Firepaw at least felt comforted that he wasn't the only one who was faltered by his own mentor.

Firepaw crouched low in the undergrowth waiting for the perfect moment to strike at the vole snuffling in the grass in front of him. After their training session, Bluestar had sent them all hunting and he had caught quite a bit of prey so far. Smudgepaw sat beside him. Watching the ginger tom carefully as he sprang at the vole and killed with a sharp bite. Although Firepaw enjoyed the company of his friends, he felt a little annoyed as Smudgepaw followed him around and asked questions. The black and white tom had never been hunting before and Bluestar had told him to hunt with Firepaw to see how it was done.

"Good catch, Firepaw," Smudgepaw mewed. Firepaw nodded his thanks and whispered:

"You have to keep quiet when you're hunting because you have to make sure the prey doesn't hear you." Smudgepaw nodded and stayed silent until Firepaw had made three more catches. The ginger tom was seated on a patch of sunny ground and was bending to pick up his catch when Smudgepaw yowled out:

"Firepaw, look out!" Firepaw felt cross. He was yowling right after he had told him not to. Maybe he should have left him with the Twolegs, after all. He rounded on Smudgepaw.

"What did I tell you about being loud. You'll scare all the prey away from here to-" his words were cut short when, with a mighty thump, a ball of gray, matted fur hit him hard and the impact caused him to roll over in the dust and he ended up crouching at Smudepaw's paws. The black and white tom sprang back and snarled at something behind Firepaw.

"Get off our territory, or we'll chase you out!" Smudgepaw's face was contorted with fury, and when Firepaw whirled around, he gasped when he saw the hideous gray cat that had attacked him. He could tell it was a she-cat, and the fumes wafting from her fur told Firepaw that she was sick. When the grizzled animal spoke, her voice was scratchy, as if the frost of leaf-bare had settled in her throat and frozen there.

"Well, well, well," She croaked, "Two little apprentices, I probably can't take on both of you, but I can have a good try!" with these words, she leaped at Firepaw again and the ginger tom leaped nimbly away. What a disgusting creature! Firepaw thought. He knew that between him and Smudgepaw, they could easily chase this rogue away, but something told him not to. He stood, trying to decide what to do barley aware of the snarling coming from the she-cat as Smudgepaw held her down. Firepaw leaped to his paws and yowled to Smudgepaw.

"Don't hurt her! We will take her to camp and Bluestar will decide what to do." He could tell by the look on Smudgepaw's face that the black and white tom didn't approve of this idea but he stood up anyway and forced the she-cat to her paws.