Flamepaw awoke to the call of Cinderstar's voice. She opened her eyes, peering out of the den. She saw cats gather in the camp clearing. She pulled herself to her paws, nudging Ashpaw, Leafpaw, Tidalpaw and Silverpaw awake.
She padded sleepily out into the clearing, fighting hard not to collapse out of exhaustion. She sat down in front of the Hightree, gazing up at Cinderstar. She looked to see Leafpaw and Ashpaw sit on either side of her, looking just as tired as she was.
She saw Cinderstar's gaze carry around the clearing, looking at all the cats. As soon as everyone had gathered, Cinderstar announced to her clan.
"As you all know, we have lost an elder." Her voice filled with grief as she continued. "We grieve for him, but we must move on. My clan needs to know that they are safe and protected. Tigerwhisker," She looked straight at Flamepaw's father, her icy blue eyes filled with seriousness. She continued when Tigerwhisker nodded in acknowledge.
"Organize patrols to patrol our territory, make sure no intruders are creeping among our territory. We don't want another cat to end up like Thornspots." Cinderstar's last sentence was filled with sorrow and regret.
Flamepaw was shocked the leader's eagerness in her voice as she spoke to the clan. She anticipated what was to come next in the late clan meeting.
Tigerwhisker looked up at her; his amber eyes had nothing but determination in them.
"Patrols start now. And I want apprentices to be trained at sunhigh. Clan dismissed!" Flamepaw looked at her confused and disappointed. She looked her other clanmates, seeing that they weren't very happy about the orders either. But she knew she couldn't argue with her leader, so she trotted over to Lightningtail. She looked up at him, waiting for his orders. He finally nodded at Ferneye.
"We are going to train with Ferneye and Ashpaw." Lightningtail mewed, touching his nose to hers before padding away toward the Training Gully.
"We are going to train together!" Flamepaw mewed excitedly to Ashpaw. She saw him smile as he trotted after his mentor, Ferneye. A twinge of hurt appeared inside her as she watched Ashpaw walk off without her.
She quickly shook it off, sprinting after them. She caught up to Lightningtail, who was sitting patiently in the gully, grooming his pelt.
"You finally decided to show up for training, uh?" Lightningtail purred with amusement. Flamepaw smiled, before tackling him over, pinning him roughly against the ground.
"Good, but-" He flipped her under him, pinning her by her shoulders and belly.
"You were too confident in your win that you forgot to pin me correctly." He looked her straight in the eye; wisdom clouding his yellow eyes. She nodded, remembering a move she had been taught. She exposed her belly, knowing the Lightningtail would see and lecture her on it.
Lightningtail reared up, preparing to leap onto her belly. Before he reached it, she kicked out her hind legs, flinging Lightningtail off with great force. She heard a loud thud and grunting in front of her. She looked up to see her mentor lying on his side, the air knocked out of him.
She giggled, seeing a glint of surprise in the senior warrior's face.
"Good move!" Ferneye called behind her. Her mother's praise filled her with embarrassment.
"Thanks." She mewed back, giving her chest a couple of licks. Ferneye never seemed so happy and proud since Flamepaw's brother, Airkit, died during leaf-bare. Her mother had stayed in the nursery for moons; grieving for her dead kit. Flamepaw knew her brother for half a moon before he left to join the ranks of StarClan. Flamepaw still had no clue why StarClan wanted him so early, so young.
She shook her pelt, getting rid of the awful memories. She had too much to do, too much to think about. The prophecy, what does that mean? She asked herself.
"Can you teach me that move?" The question snapped her back into reality. She looked to see Ashpaw's head tilted in question.
"Yeah, of course!" She mewed happily as she padded into the middle of the gully. Ashpaw bunched up his haunches, leaping onto Flamepaw. Flamepaw narrowed her eyes, collapsing to the ground. She went limp, fooling Ashpaw; it worked.
"I've def-" He was cut off by a grunt as she kicked Ashpaw in the belly, launching him in the air. She leaped up, flinging herself at Ashpaw, who was still in the air. She pretended to scratch her claws down his pelt, landing behind him on all four paws.
She heard him land on the ground a tail length away. She turned around, seeing him trying to heave himself up. She padded over, helping him to his paws.
"Nice one," he grunted, looking at her.
"Great job, Flamepaw, especially when you raked your claws down his pelt mid-air!" Flamepaw's mentor mewed proudly to her.
She looked at her mother, seeing her leaf-green eyes fulfilled with pride.
"Thanks, Lightningtail." She gave her chest a couple of embarrassed licks.
"Let's get back to camp." Lightningtail suggested, about to leap out of the gully.
"Ok!" both Ashpaw and Flamepaw mewed excitedly simultaneously.
Too bad I can't use those moves, I promised. She reminded herself sadly as she leapt out of the gully, making her way back to camp.