Chapter
Leaping over fallen logs, dodging bushes and racing faster, Fiercepaw is infinitely more graceful than when she is just walking. She catches sight of a flash of a silver pelt racing beside her and it lightens her heart far more than anything else ever could. Silverpaw turns his head to send a playful smile before fading away as Blueflame leaps through his wispy form. Following after her mentor, Fiercepaw resolves to focus on her training as her littermate does in StarClan.
Slowing down to a trot as the bush hiding the training tunnel comes into view, Fiercepaw follows right behind the elegant blue tom. Her nose to his tail as they trot through the tunnel, Fiercepaw feels a feeling of relief as they break through to the training clearing. It is empty of any other 'paws and mentors and Fiercepaw feels grateful for that.
She has no wish to make a mouse-brain of herself in front of others.
Circling around to face Fiercepaw, Blueflame comes to a stop.
"We are going to focus on hunting one type of prey today. We will be starting with mice. Can you tell me what the best way to hunt a mouse might be?" Blueflame questions the black and silver apprentice. Cocking her head to the side, Fiercepaw shakes her silver-streaked fringe out of her silver eyes.
"Well, I remember the elders telling me that mice are more sensitive to feelings. So light paw-steps?" Fiercepaw says tentatively and Blueflame nods in approval.
"Correct. Show me your hunting crouch." He orders and Fiercepaw obediently drops into a hunting crouch. Blueflame circles her, his orange gaze critical. "You haunches are lopsided, raise your left side the littlest bit and drop the right side. Good." He instructs as Fiercepaw's muscles begin to tremble a little, unused to being held like this for very long.
This training is so much more intense than what Blueflame showed her before.
Before, it was story telling and stealth training. There wasn't much exercise like this and it shows. Fiercepaw is trembling from her whiskers to her tail with the strain of holding still.
Blueflame narrows his eyes with worry but the stubborn apprentice refuses to make a single sound. Fiercepaw's silver eyes follow Blueflame as he pads around her.
"Drop your tail a little." He instructs and Fiercepaw carefully lowers it until he nods at her. "That is the perfect hunting crouch. You are low enough your pelt won't catch attention and light enough on your paws that a mouse will not sense the vibration of your paws. Practice hunting on that leaf over there." Blueflame orders, sitting down with his tail wrapped around his paws and nodding at a shriveled brown leaf.
Carefully trying to creep forward, Fiercepaw accidentally steps on a twig and the loud crack makes her cringe.
"That mouse is long gone by now. Again." Blueflame meows and she resumes her position, trying to be more comfortable with the awkward hunting crouch. She thinks longingly of running, the way her body stretches and releases effortlessly- and stumbles over her paws. "You came out of your hunting crouch." Blueflame scolds and she nods apologetically, padding back into position and dropping into a crouch. "Lower your tail- too low, raise it. Your haunches. Better, still a little lopsided though!" Blueflame calls out and Fiercepaw rolls her eyes discreetly. "I saw that and if you roll your eyes again, you are on elder-" He pauses and Fiercepaw knows why. She doesn't resent the elders and taking care of them is nothing. "You will be on herb hunting duty." Blueflame says and Fiercepaw wrinkles her whiskers.
"Yes, Blueflame." She mutters. She hates the smells of certain herbs and Mintleaf has always been a little cold to her ever since Aspenkit started showing interest in becoming a medicine cat. What would have happened, she wondered, if Brightpaw was still alive when Aspenkit started showing interest in being a medicine cat? A mentor cannot have two apprentices.
Yowling, Fiercepaw steps on the back of her paw and trips herself as her paws get tangled and she tumbles forward. Blueflame sighs, padding forward.
"Focus, Fiercepaw." He orders and nudges her to her feet, dropping into a crouch of his own. His is perfect, his lithe body coiled with power as his orange eyes narrow with focus. "This is a proper hunting crouch. Follow me." He orders and Fiercepaw sighs but does so.
It helps some to have Blueflame right there but not much.
Her crouch just feels off and it doesn't help that her too-large paws catch on everything around her.
By the time it is Sunhigh, Blueflame is at the edge of his patience. He knows this isn't Fiercepaw's fault but it is frustrating none the less to still be working on the one thing.
Sensing his frustration, Fiercepaw follows meekly behind him as they go through the tunnel and out from under the bush. Not even the subtle brush of Silverpaw's starry pelt against her own can raise her spirits and he fades away. Padding after Blueflame, Fiercepaw wishes they could run to meet the Border Patrol but Blueflame really doesn't look like he is in the mood.
Lowering her head even more, Fiercepaw's silver-streaked fringe brushes the dirt but she doesn't care. Disappointment sweeps through her. How could she have failed so miserably that Blueflame is so quiet? She feels horrible that she let him down. As they pad through the territory, Fiercepaw hears the rapid heartbeat of a mouse and she freezes with one paw in the air.
Dropping into her awkward hunting crouch, she slowly creeps forward.
Blueflame watches curiously as she carefully creeps forward, a silver dappled shadow drifting across the ground until he sees a stick. He sighs, knowing she will trip or step on it. Again. Flicking his ear behind him as he hears the patrol, Blueflame rises to his paws and stretches.
"Don't bother. The patrol is here." Blueflame meows and the mouse is instantly gone as Fiercepaw jumps, not expecting him to speak. Hurt radiates inside of her chest as she realizes he spoiled her hunt. Did he think she couldn't catch the mouse? Feeling even more down then before, Fiercepaw pads after her mentor with her tail dragging on the ground and her head lowered.
"Blueflame!" Swanfang calls out, the beautiful white she-cat eagerly padded forward to touch noses with him. Blueflame nods his head in greeting to the rest of the patrol, licking Swanfang gently on the cheek as she purrs. Fiercepaw rolls her eyes and sits down, Blueflame ignoring her as he talks with the pretty white queen.
Goldenpaw glances between the two cats and Fiercepaw in confusion but shrugs as she pads over to her new friend.
"Hey, Fiercepaw!" She mews cheerfully, the golden apprentice touching noses with the black apprentice.
"Hi, Goldenpaw." Fiercepaw says quietly, avoiding looking their mentors. "Where's Lightningpaw?" She asked, knowing the white and silver apprentice is missing from this patrol.
"He went to the Prey Clearing with Longclaw for today. Isn't this exciting?" Goldenpaw asks and Fiercepaw shrugs as she looks over the rest of the patrol. Hawkstorm is standing by Nightstream and Boulderpaw as they talk with each other. Sootfire is watching Blueflame and Swanfang curiously. "Come on, your training may have sucked but it is the first day! You don't need to feel so bad about it." Goldenpaw meows and Fiercepaw nods, raising her head and stepping lightly in place.
"Who is leading this patrol?" Fiercepaw asks curiously, resolving to ignore Blueflame for right now.
"Nightstream." Goldenpaw meows apologetically but Fiercepaw shrugs it off like water.
"Come on." Fiercepaw meows, padding over to her mother where she is talking to Hawkstorm and Boulderpaw like they are her mate and kit. "Hello, Nightstream." Fiercepaw meows icily and Nightstream looks her daughter over, noticing a leaf in her fringe. She reaches a paw out but Fiercepaw moves a step back, causing hurt to flash in the shadowy queen's eyes.
"Hello, Fiercepaw." She greets her daughter like she hasn't been ignoring her. "How was your training?" She asks hopefully, regretful about ignoring her daughter after her loss of Silverki- Silverpaw and her gaining of Boulderpaw showing in her eyes. Fiercepaw sweeps a cold gaze over her mother and gives a little toss of her head.
"It was fine." She meows coldly and then moves away.
"Ouch! Who put a thorn in your paw?" Goldenpaw teases and Fiercepaw relaxes enough to playfully snap her fangs at her friend.
"I haven't forgiven her for ignoring me yet and she acted like I had. I felt the need to show her otherwise." Fiercepaw says loftily and Goldenpaw snorts, bowling over the two of them playfully. Laughing, Fiercepaw bats her paws at Goldenpaw's belly.
"That's enough!" Blueflame snaps, stalking forward as they scramble to their feet. Fiercepaw draws herself up and glares icily at her mentor as she bristles. Nightstream glances between the two of them, shocked at the hint of anger between them. As far as any of them knew, Blueflame and Fiercepaw had connected instantly and worked well together. So this animosity between them is surprising.
"Let's go." Nightstream meows, trotting forward as she leads the group forward. Fiercepaw brushes angrily past a regretful Blueflame, ignoring him completely as she trots by with Goldenpaw at her side.
"Maybe I should be asking who stuck a thorn in his paw." Goldenpaw mutters bitterly, still bristling at being snapped unfairly at. Fiercepaw snorts in agreement as they ignore Blueflame, iciness radiating off of them. Sootfire watches with amusement as the blue tom stares regretfully.
"I see you still need to work on talking to she-cats." He teases and Blueflame narrows his orange eyes at him as Swanfang moves by his side.
"I'd say he does just fine." She meows softly and Blueflame gives her a grateful look as they trot after the two she-cats.
The two she-cats lengthen their strides to keep up with Nightstream, Hawkstorm and Boulderpaw. Boulderpaw glances back, the gray apprentice hesitant to speak with them. He normally only talks with Honeypaw and Eagleblaze. But ever since Brightpaw died...Honeypaw is hurt so much that she lashes out at everycat around her.
Taking a deep breath, Boulderpaw drops back to trot with Fiercepaw and Goldenpaw.
Glaring at the gray apprentice, Fiercepaw narrows her eyes.
"What do you want?" She snaps.
"I just wanted to say sorry. I know Blueflame was being unfair back there." He meows apologetically and Fiercepaw rolls her silver eyes. This tom, he is too similar to Silverpaw. His pelt is darker and his eyes are green not amber but he still has the sweet look in his eyes. It is no wonder Nightstream decided to latch onto the little tom.
"It doesn't matter, I am still stuck with him." Fiercepaw mutters, shooting a harsh glare over her shoulder. Blueflame doesn't even notice though, too busy talking with Swanfang and Sootfire. "Where's Honeypaw?" She asks, changing the subject as they duck under a bush.
"She is on a MoonClan patrol with Skyfang." Boulderpaw meows, happy she is warming up to him.
"Nothing but the best for precious Honeypaw!" Goldenpaw meows, mock brightly and Fiercepaw pads closer to her; offering the comfort of their brushing pelts. Accepting it gratefully, Goldenpaw allows her bristling pelt to relax.
"Why does she hate me?" Fiercepaw asks curiously and Boulderpaw lowers his head a little, his fringe flopping into his eyes before he shakes it away.
"She doesn't but ever since the attack, she has lashed out at everyone around her." He meows uncomfortably.
"Why do you even bother with her?" Goldenpaw asks and he looks them right in the eye.
"Because she is my friend and she needs me. Now more than ever." Boulderpaw says firmly and the two she-cats exchange a look before nodding in approval.
Moving past the tense subjects, Boulderpaw draws them into a conversation about what they think their warrior names could be. Laughing, they meow back and forth as they draw closer to the border. Once they reach it, the three apprentices stand back as the others mark their territory line. Sootfire yowls, drawing all of their attention and they pad over to where he is crouched by a bush. The scent of blood reaches out and Fiercepaw leans forward curiously, trying to see what it is.
A smear of blood, a tuff of brown fur and the wind-scent of BreezeClan.
"They hunted on our territory!" Blueflame exclaims and a low muttering springs up between the warriors.
"Wow, who would have thought those fox-heart traitors would be so brave?" Goldenpaw meows and Fiercepaw nods in agreement.
"Things like this start up territory wars. It is pretty mouse-brained of them to do this." Fiercepaw meows, her silver eyes wide.
"BreezeClan!" Swanfang calls and they all turn to see a similar sized patrol of lean BreezeClan cats heading their way. They are running, their tails streaming behind them as they race closer. Fiercepaw feels a pang of longing to be running on such open territory but she shoves it away, bristling her pelt as they trot to a stop.
"What are you doing here?" A large ginger tom with amber eyes snarls, stalking forward and right up to the territory line. His warriors spread out behind him, puffing up their scarred fur and making themselves seem three times larger than they are. Their fangs gleam in the sun as growls rise in their throats.
Exchanging wide glances, Fiercepaw and Goldenpaw wait for Nightstream to say something.
Thanks to my reviewers!
WildChild13 - Ha! I like to yell at my screen sometimes so it helps knowing my writing can inspire that in you! MoonClan...not yet but they will play a large part in this story! And thank you for your comments, they really help inspire me to write more.
Broken Of Towering Trees - You find out why Honeypaw is so mean in this chapter, what did you think about that? She isn't so bad, kind of like Dustpelt in the beginning. And thanks so much for offering to let me use Sparrowpaw. He is not in this chapter but I promise he is in the next one!
Itachi'sFangirl818 - Thanks for your review!
Thanks to my follower!
Broken of Towering Trees!