Disclaimer: I based the Clan structure on the Warriors books by Erin Hunter.

I've been a bit busy lately...

Now here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Please review.

Chapter 22

It's almost two moons since Falconstar's kits became apprentices. The kits' mentors would keep their mother, who also happened to be their Clan leader informed of the young cats' progress. Last night, Falconstar discussed Nightpaw's, Redpaw's and Rockpaw's training with their mentors. They were generally very pleased with their apprentices.

"Redpaw will make a great warrior. She's a natural, like you Falconstar." Featherstorm mewed. The pale gray-and-black tom was always a popular choice as mentor; he was kind and gentle to the young cats, yet a skillful hunter and fierce warrior. And he had also been Falconstar's mentor.

"I am glad to hear this, Featherstorm." Falconstar purred approvingly.

"Rockpaw will make a great warrior, too." Grayfeather mewed thoughtfully. "Once he has learned to be more patient with himself."

Falconstar flicked her ears and prompted Grayfeather to explain what he meant.

"We were out hunting, today", the gray tom started, "Rockpaw found a mouse and stalked it until he was ready to pounce on it. And then he scared off the mouse and when he went after it, he caught a pigeon instead. I don't know what he was doing. I am not complaining: he brought back prey. But that's not really the way he should hunt."

Birdflight let out a soft purr. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Grayfeather. It takes some apprentices longer to stay focused on what they are doing. And Rockpaw does know his battle moves really well." Grayfeather shot the small she-cat a grateful look.

Falconstar let her tail flicker along Grayfeather's flank. It surprised her that her former apprentice seemed so insecure about his qualities as mentor.

"You're doing a great job with Rockpaw."

"Thank you, Falconstar."

"Birdflight, how is Nightpaw doing?" The Clan leader continued.

"She is a great hunter. I've never seen any cat like her. I wish she was half as good learning her battle moves." Birdflight mewed and shook her head while thinking of the latest battle training with her apprentice.

"Seems to me that their training is going well. How about we assess their skills?" Falconstar concluded. "Send them out by themselves tomorrow, on a hunting mission. And observe how they are doing. I would like to join you, if you don't mind."

Her warriors had agreed to her proposal and she had dismissed them shortly afterwards.

xxx

The next day, Falconstar left her den and set out to visit her sister in the nursery. Hawkfeather's kits were still too young to leave the nursery or be by themselves for long. Birchheart and Featherstorm had taken over her job as deputy. While walking to the hazel thicket, Falconstar saw Birchheart telling his apprentice Rainpaw to look after the elders today; the only elder in the Clan was Honeyflower and one apprentice could easily manage the work alone.

Cloudheart was with Hawkfeather as Falconstar poked her head inside the cozy hazel thicket. The medicine cat apprentice had brought Hawkfeather some borage to help her milk come.

"How is she, and the kits?" Falconstar asked pointing her tail to her sister.

"I am fine." Hawkfeather replied sleepily. "And Hazelkit and Buzzardkit are fine as well. Aren't they Cloudheart?"

"Yes, they are healthy and growing well." Cloudheart's eyes shone as she watched her mother and her two little brothers. The black apprentice gave Hawkfeather another quick lick to the shoulder and left the nursery. Falconstar followed her out.

Falconstar had barely left the nursery again when Featherstorm called her.

"Are you ready to leave, Falconstar?" the warrior asked. The Clan leader nodded and together with Birdflight and Grayfeather they left the camp.

They quickly found the fresh scent of their apprentices and started to track them.

"Maybe it's better if we split up. It will be easier to hide in the bracken if we are alone." Birdflight suggested and the rest of them agreed.

xxx

Falconstar first found the fresh scent of Nightpaw. She was hunting close to the border with ForestClan. This part of their territory was rich in prey. Falconstar had already found three mice that her daughter had caught and buried to collect later. Birdflight was right, Falconstar thought. Nightpaw was a brilliant hunter. Falconstar was about to leave the bracken in which she was hiding, when she saw ginger fur creep up slowly behind a root of a beech tree. It took Falconstar a few moments before she realize that Redpaw was stalking a squirrel that had come down on the ground. A heartbeat later, Redpaw had seized her chance and pelted after her prey and kill it with a quick bite to the throat. Falconstar was pleased with her daughters' hunting skills. Now she had to find Rockpaw. His scent was more difficult to track. Had he rolled in something to disguise his scent? Falconstar wondered. But he was definitely heading for the HedgeClan border. This area wasn't as rich in prey as the one near ForestClan, but still a good place to hunt. She tracked her son's scent until she had almost reached the border. Why did Rockpaw decide to hunt so close to the border? Didn't he realize how easy it was to cross the border by accident? Then Falconstar spotted the gray apprentice. He stalked a sparrow that was sitting on a low hanging branch. All of a sudden he pelted after the bird and managed to get his claws around it and kill it with a swift bite. Falconstar couldn't believe what she had witnessed. That wasn't the skill of a warrior, it was shear luck that Rockpaw managed to catch the bird. Didn't Grayfeather show him how to stalk prey? Falconstar shook her head and continued watching her son on his assignment. She caught her breath when she saw that he had crossed into HedgeClan territory. Just now Rockpaw had also realized that he crossed the scent line. He stood rigid for a heartbeat and then edged slowly back toward MeadowClan territory. However, the apprentice didn't come very far. Bouldertail heaved himself out behind some brambles and approached the intruder. Rockpaw crouched on the ground, his eyes wide in shock.

"You shouldn't be hunting so close to the border." He told the terrified apprentice.

"I am sorry. I didn't catch any of your prey." Rockpaw stammered.

"I doubt that you would have caught anything. Didn't your mentor teach you how to stalk prey? Any kit could have done better than you." Bouldertail lashed his tail across the forest floor. Was he angry that Rockpaw crossed the border or that his son's hunting skills were so bad?, Falconstar wondered. Rockpaw looked at his paws and then up at Bouldertail.

"I'm really good at battling though. Whiskerheart said that it's enough if I know my battle moves." the young cat mewed.

"Whiskerheart?" Bouldertail mewed through gritted teeth and lashed his tail over the ground again.

"Yes, he said I will be a great warrior anyways, even if I can't hunt well." Rockpaw had risen to his paws and eyed the HedgeClan deputy. Did he try to impress Bouldertail?, Falconstar wondered. Her heart skipped a beat at that thought. Did Rockpaw know that he was talking to his father?

"And you believe what Whiskerheart tells you?" Bouldertail questioned the young tom who nodded eagerly in reply. "Then you are mouse-brained."

Rockpaw flinched at the warrior's words.

"A true warrior can both defend and feed his Clan. You'll only ever be half a warrior if you don't know how to hunt for your Clan." Bouldertail mewed sternly. "Who's your mentor?"

"Grayfeather." Rockpaw mewed quietly.

"He was Falconstar's apprentice, wasn't he?" Bouldertail mewed after a while. He was sitting down now and had curled his tail over his paws. "Do you think your mother told Grayfeather that it was enough to know his battle moves?"

"I guess not." Rockpaw mewed still a little subdued.

"Then become a great warrior and learn to feed your Clan, Rockpaw." Bouldertail told the young cat and nudged him towards the border line.

"You know my name?" Rockpaw gasped after a moment.

"Of course I know your name. Make sure to stay on your side of the forest." The gray warrior mewed and then bounded back to the brambles where he had first appeared.

Rockpaw stared after Bouldertail a little longer. Then he went to fetch his sparrow and headed back to camp.

Falconstar stayed in her hiding place until her legs ached from sitting still for too long. Rockpaw had told Bouldertail that Whiskerheart said he didn't need to learn how to hunt. Why would Whiskerheart corrupt her son? The brown tabby warrior had told Falconstar many moons ago that it didn't matter to him that her kits were actually Bouldertail's. Did he change his mind? She had to make sure that her kits were getting the training they needed to become great warriors.

Continues soon...