(Hello once again! Thank you guys so much for the reviews! It really means a lot to me! Criticism is welcome as well, because it helps improve my writing! Also, I'm on Tansy's nominee list for not-so-popular stories! I'd love it if you guys checked it out, but I'm not saying you guys have to vote for me. There are a list of stories there, some of them you guys may want to check out! They're pretty good! And if you like the stories you see, you can PM Tansy and vote for those stories, and then they might be advertised! But once again, I won't say you guys have to vote for me. Its for you guys to check out other cool stories! Though I'm not saying you shouldn't vote for me... :D)
"Duck!" Brightheart screached as Hollypaw swung at Flamepaw, almost catching her ears.
Flamepaw crouched low, and darted forward as Hollypaw's forepaws were suspended in the air. Flamepaw butted Hollypaw's legs, and the black she-cat collapsed silently. Flamepaw leaped to her paws, and bolted over to Hollypaw's body.
"Hollypaw? Are you ok? I'm sorry!" She begged, nosing Hollypaw to try and get her to her paws. She heard Bramblestar make a satisfied humph. Flamepaw flattened her ears, wondering why Bramblestar sounded proud.
Hollypaw twisted around suddenly, and batted upward with her paws, taking Flamepaw by surprise. Flamepaw fell back, and Hollypaw pounced, forcing Flampaw to give up once Hollypaw had pinned her down by the shoulders.
"Very good Hollypaw!" Bramblestar praised, padding forward to congratulate the black apprentice. Hollypaw looked up at him, happiness and pride swirling within her eyes.
Flamepaw got to her paws, and shook out her pelt. "Aw mouse dung! I almost won!" Flamepaw looked over to her mentor, who had already made her way to Flamepaw.
"Well, almost. But it wouldn't matter in battle." Brightheart's voice was stern as she lectured Flamepaw.
"Well yeah," Flamepaw kicked the ground, feeling glum. She hadn't won a mock battle all day, and all the other apprentices were doing amazing. "Hollypaw is sneaky, Sorrelpaw is strong, and Fernpaw has strong legs. And here I am, not winning anything."
Brightheart flicked her ear in sorrowful understanding. "Well, to be fair, you are the fast one."
Flamepaw merely rolled her eyes. "Yeah, so now I can run away in battle. Just what every Warrior needs."
Frowning, Brightheart stood up. "Come on, let's train one-on-one."
Flamepaw nodded glumly, and crouched down low, waiting for Brightheart's signal.
Sitting in the middle of the clearing, Brigntheart nodded. "Try and pass me, and I'll try and stop you."
Flamepaw's gaze flickered around the clearing. Bramblestar had taken Hollypaw hunting, so there was no obstacles. She returned her focus back to Brightheart, whose muscles were tense as she waited for Flamepaw. Flamepaw stared at Brightheart's right side, and darted forward like lightning. Brightheart's pelt rippled, and she began to move to the right, but Flamepaw quickly veered off to the left, efficiently passing her mentor.
"Very go-" Brightheart began to praise Flamepaw, but the apprentice wasn't finished just yet. As soon as Flamepaw dashed behind Brightheart, She whipped around and pounced on her mentor, hooking her paws around her shoulders.
"Hey!" Brightheart growled, trying to fling the apprentice off. She hurtled towards a tree, and Flamepaw leaped off, landing neatly in the middle of the clearing. Brightheart scowled in a good-humored way. "Oh I see how it is!"
Brightheart charged, hurling herself high into the air. Flamepaw stared up at her mentor, and right before Brightheart landed on her, she darted away, leaving Brightheart to pounce on empty air. Before Brightheart could realize where Flamepaw was, Flamepaw gently gripped Brightheart's tail with her teeth and yanked, causing her mentor to lose her balance and collapse onto the ground. Flamepaw pounced squarely on her shoulders, and gave a yowl of triumph as Brightheart gave up.
"Now that was good." Brightheart shook her head, regaining her senses. "See! I told you that you were fast. You made it so that you struck before I could realize what was happening."
Flamepaw puffed out her chest, proud of herself for taking down her mentor.
Brightheart flicked her tail proudly. "Let's go hunting." She shook out her pelt and bounded into the undergrowth, Flamepaw close behind.
Flamepaw opened her jaws, trying to see what she could scent. "Brightheart!" She whispered, flicking her tail. "I think I smell a shrew." Flamepaw crouched down low, crawling forward slowly on her belly like a snake. There she saw the tiny creature nibbling on some seeds, completely unaware of its fate. A smirk spread across Flamepaw's face, and she pounced, killing the shrew with a swift clean bite. She returned to Brightheart, placing her catch neatly in front of her paws.
"Good. Let's bury it, and we can continue hunting." She ordered, and Flamepaw began to scrape at the ground. Once the whole was big enough, she hastily buried the shrew, eager to continue.
They made their way to the edge of the border, prey being low at this time of leaf-bare.
Brightheart gave out a defeated sigh. "Well, let's head back. We don't want to anger Windclan either by hunting near their border."
Brightheart turned away, beginning to set back with Flamepaw, until they heard a low growl.
"What do you think you're doing here?"
Brightheart and Flamepaw whirled around, Flamepaw's eyes widening in shock once she saw who it was. It was the tom that kept watching her! Flamepaw's pelt bristled in fear as the tom's eyes were burning into her pelt.
"I repeat, what are you doing here?" He snarled, taking a step forward.
"Nothing, Ashtalon. We are heading back now, unless you want to cross our territory." Brightheart threatened, her body tense, as though she would need to pounce momentarily.
Ashtalon flattened his ears, baring his fangs. "Liar! It seemed to me as if you were going to hunt here! And steal our prey!"
Flamepaw glanced nervously between her mentor and Ashtalon. Brightheart's eyes were burning with rage, as if she couldn't believe he would ever suggest that.
"We were hunting, and we came over here to check to see if there was any prey here. Or, make sure a certain Windclan cat wasn't about to threaten our clan!" Brightheart's claws dug into the earthy ground as she leaned forward.
Ashtalon spat, and stormed away into the heather, leaving a fuming Brightheart.
"Ugh! What nerve!" Brightheart hissed, starting stalking back into the undergrowth.
Flamepaw stared into the heather for a moment, and she narrowed her eyes. She could still see some gray flattened against the ground, almost as if...
"Brightheart! Look out!" Flamepaw screeched. Ashtalon hurdled out of the heather, hissing and spitting as he landed on top of Brightheart. He clawed her back, and Brightheart struggled to fling him off. Flamepaw bolted forward, gripping Ashtalon's back leg as tightly as she could. Blood filled her mouth as Ashtalon let out a screech and leaped off of Brightheart to claw Flamepaw away.
"You stupid piece of fox dung!" Ashtalon cursed as he raked his claws over Flamepaw's ears. Blood trickled into Flamepaw's vision, causing her to lose sight momentarily. Flamepaw released her grip, shaking her head to clear her vision. Once the blood was gone, she saw Brightheart locked in an intense battery with Ashtalon. Her claws were tightly digging into his shoulders, and he was snapping at her throat.
'His belly is exposed!'Flamepaw darted underneath Ashtalon, and began to claws at the soft skin. Ashtalon let out a pained cry, and let go of Brightheart. Spitting, hissing, and cursing, he backed up to the border.
"Curse you! Onestar will hear about this! I'll start a war! And I'll kill both of you first!" He swore, and he dashed away, disappearing into the heather for good.
"Good riddance!" Brightheart called after him, and then proceeded to turn to Flamepaw. "Are you alright?" She panted, blood matting her ginger and white coat.
"Yeah," Flamepaw nodded, shaking the blood out of her eyes once more. "But you don't look to good. We need to get to Jayfeather." Flamepaw observed. Brightheart's neck had cuts on them, and her back was covered in blood.
Brightheart nodded solemnly, and lead Flamepaw back into the undergrowth.
"Bramblestar is going to want to hear about this."
(It is muah again! I loved this chapter, I kept thinking of really intense music! Until next time!)