Splashpaw bounded out of the apprentices' den, tail and head high as she swiftly pelted across the smooth red sand in the LagoonClan camp. Her bright silver pelt standing out against the red sand, her muscles tensed with excitement, her heart was beating rapidly in her ears as she caught site of her mentor Claypelt! The big dark brown tom was picking through the fresh-kill pile, bouncing curiously toward him before bowling him over playfully. "My ceremony, is it today? Is it, is it, is it?"
"Calm down, Splashpaw! I've told you numerous times and again, it will be at least four more moons until you're a warrior!" Claypelt purred, sitting up to shake his pelt free of the red sand. "Oh, can't you put in a good word for me and tell Clamstar I'm ready?" She purred excitedly, clawing at the sand. "I mean I'm more than ready, I'm so ready I could eat a shark!"
The dark brown tom flicked his tail with irritation; she could sense the sorrow in his eyes as he looked at her again. Meeting her gaze firmly before looking away and whispering so quietly she barely caught what he said, "My sister was attacked by a shark… before you were born."
Splashpaw pinned her ears back, pulling away from the toms' shafts of sorrow hitting her like a badgers blow. Gulping down the horror, she turned to walk toward a shaded place beneath a weeping willow tree. Her paws dragging across the ground before she suddenly dropped beneath the tree with a 'humph'! "Poor, Claypelt." She thought, gazing at the forlorn tom as he picked up a hermit crab and carried it toward a small den made of seaweed, vines and other things found by the lagoon.
Splashpaw crept toward her mentor the following day, her tail low to the ground as she skidded across the sandy floor waiting to strike. Pressing her belly to the ground, she peered between two reeds watching Claypelt bask in the sunshine.
Suddenly she felt her stomach lurch, growling for food. Being in a hunters crouch reminded her of hunting for prey!
She watched as her mentor lifted his head slightly, opening his eyes to see her sitting there embarrassed. "Hunting me, eh?" The tom purred, standing up before stretching his limbs. "Didn't I teach you never to hunt on an empty stomach?"
"Er… probably!" She meowed, bounding past the tom. "Anyways, teach me some fighting techniques, I should be working on them more often now that JungleClan has been showing such hostility!"
"I suppose you're right, I just don't feel like fighting today! Why don't you go explore the territory, go find some trouble." Claypelt purred, lazily dragging toward her. "But what will Clamstar think of me if I purposely go looking for trouble?" Splashpaw meowed confused. "I'll make up something to cover you up!" Claypelt replied, stretching his jaws wide in yawn.
"Um, I think I'll just go hunting." She meowed bluntly before bounding off.