Forestpaw arched her back outside of the apprentice den. It nearly had been a quarter moon since her run-in with the ThunderClan patrol, and the Clan was now more convinced than ever that ThunderClan would attack. Several warriors had started to avoid Forestpaw, although she didn't mind much, since Firebird, Vinewatcher, Nightpaw, and Windpaw kept her company most days when she wasn't training with Mothbrook. Now that her wound had mostly closed up, she exchanged battle moves with Nightpaw and Windpaw, and sometimes Umberpaw joined in, although Forestpaw didn't feel as comfortable with her as she felt with her brother.
"Hey, Forestpaw!"
Forestpaw stiffened, and turned around to see Kestrelswoop. She blinked, stepping back slowly.
"You're still confined to camp?" he sneered, "How sad. At least I can go to Gatherings without being bothered by your impudence."
Forestpaw hissed, although she didn't feel that threatening. She lashed her tail, trying not to betray her fear. Even though Kestrelswoop was only a few moons older than her, he was much stronger and fiercer and acted like he was seasons old.
"Kestrelswoop, just because you're a warrior now doesn't mean you can act like a mouse-brained leader," a voice behind Forestpaw meowed irritably. She turned, and, surprisingly, saw the lithe, white figure of Umberpaw. "Aren't you on the dawn patrol with me and Icepad?"
Kestrelswoop narrowed his eyes. "I didn't know apprentices could talk to me like that," he meowed curtly, "But I suppose you're right; I am on the dawn patrol."
Umberpaw sighed. "Then let's go, you slow slug! We've been waiting for you for ages!" she exclaimed, glancing at Forestpaw with a look of apology.
Not knowing what else to do, Forestpaw awkwardly dipped her head in thanks, and Umberpaw bounded toward Icepad, with Kestrelswoop following.
Forestpaw sat back, letting out a relieved breath. She caught a glimpse of Toadpaw as he emerged from the apprentice den.
"Kestrelswoop's right, you know," Toadpaw muttered, "You are impudent." The black tom flicked his ears, then bounded to Skyclaw, who was waiting for him at the camp entrance.
Forestpaw self-consciously lapped at her chest, suddenly feeling very small.
Am I impudent? Forestpaw thought. She stopped grooming herself and looked down at her paws. How am I supposed to know that?
A few heartbeats later, Forestpaw felt whiskers rub against her head. The familiar scent of Firebird wreathed around her.
"Don't worry, little one," Firebird meowed, "No one thinks of you that way except those two."
"But…" Forestpaw started, "ShadowClan doesn't like me anymore. Even Gorgestar has started to avoid me."
Firebird purred. "Look around you, Forestpaw," she mewed, rasping her tongue along her daughter's healing chest. "No one has said they don't like you, have they?"
Forestpaw hesitated. "No," she admitted, "But it seems like—"
"Just because it seems like it doesn't mean it's true," Firebird interrupted. "Besides, you and Windpaw are getting along now, aren't you?"
"Yes, and Nightpaw."
"Well then, I'm sure not everyone dislikes you," Firebird mewed. She stroked her tail along Forestpaw's back.
Forestpaw sighed. "I guess," she reluctantly agreed.
Firebird's ears perked up, and her gaze shifted to the warriors' den, where Mothbrook was just emerging. "I think Mothbrook will want to start your train soon," she meowed, "I'll leave you to it." Firebird padded away toward Echowing, who was telling Vinewatcher and Cloverfur to patrol around the ThunderClan border. Forestpaw's mother called to her mate, and they left the camp.
"Well, I suppose Firebird is right," Mothbrook mewed from behind her apprentice, "We better start training."
Forestpaw nodded and shifted her gaze to her mentor. "What…are we doing today?" she whispered, looking down at her paws.
Mothbrook's whiskers twitched. "What?"
Forestpaw tensed, then shook her head.
Mothbrook sighed. "Nevermind, let's just get on with our training," she mewed, "Alright, I'll be a ThunderClan cat, and I'll attack you. It's your job to defend yourself."
Forestpaw breathed in slowly, then nodded.
Mothbrook narrowed her eyes, pausing for many heartbeats. Forestpaw hesitated, and as her paws fumbled, Mothbrook leaped on top of her apprentice. Forestpaw's eyes widened, and Mothbrook sighed.
"Defend yourself!" she mewed indignantly. "Your enemy won't wait around for you to catch your breath!" Forestpaw's mentor stood up and let her apprentice scramble to her paws. "Let's try that again, but this time, I want you to treat it like a real battle, except with your claws sheathed."
Forestpaw nodded.
Mothbrook leaped at her again, and this time Forestpaw dodged, although just barely in time so Mothbrook could catch her fur in her claws.
"You can be faster than that!" Mothbrook encouraged, "Try again."
They worked until a hunting patrol came back with prey, and Mothbrook let Forestpaw take something to eat before resuming their training.
As Forestpaw grabbed a small frog, Kestrelswoop shouldered her aside from the fresh-kill pile, and sneered.
"I thought you were supposed to be strong," he teased. Forestpaw blinked, then narrowed her eyes. She was about to try to speak, when a louder, confident voice spoke from behind Kestrelswoop.
"Knock it off, Kestrelswoop!" Windpaw hissed, "When are you going to learn that just because Forestpaw is one of the youngest apprentices, and you're now a warrior, doesn't mean you can pick on her!" He lashed his tail, stepping forward menacingly.
Kestrelswoop purred with laughter. He swished his tail over the older apprentice's muzzle, his lip curling. "Now you're on her side?"
"You're not?" Windpaw retorted. He stalked over to Forestpaw and gave her a gentle nudge. "Here, I'll eat with you." He picked up a mouse and guided Forestpaw to a small boulder that was near the Pinebranch.
"Look who's falling over his paws with love!" Kestrelswoop called. Windpaw gritted his teeth but ignored the young warrior, biting into his mouse.
"Sorry about him," Windpaw apologized as Kestrelswoop disappeared into the warriors' den. He sighed. "He's so full of himself, now that he's a warrior!"
Forestpaw shook her head. "No, you don't have to apologize," she mewed, "I should've stood up for myself." Now that she and Windpaw had become quite close, Forestpaw felt comfortable to talk with her as she would with Firebird, Vinewatcher, and Nightpaw. And as much as she hated how Kestrelswoop teased Windpaw, she couldn't deny to herself that she had developed feelings for the gray tom, although she would never admit it to anyone else.
Shortly after they both had finished eating, Windpaw left to patrol ThunderClan's border; Gorgestar had ordered constant patrols around the border, in case any of the ThunderClan warriors decided to attack ShadowClan at any moment.
Forestpaw passed her tongue across her lips, then stood up and started to look around the camp for her mentor. She found Mothbrook sharing tongues with Whispertail, and bounded over.
"Are you ready to continue training?" Mothbrook asked when she noticed Forestpaw awkwardly trying to get her attention.
Forestpaw nodded.
"Alright," Mothbrook mewed. She turned back to Whispertail. "Sorry, can we finish after I train Forestpaw?"
Whispertail flicked her tail and nodded, purring. "Of course," she meowed warmly.
"Thanks," Mothbrook acknowledged, "Now, let's go."
Once they had returned to the spot where they had previously been training, Mothbrook turned to her apprentice. "This time, I want you to try to attack me. I don't want you to just know how to defend yourself: if you're in a real battle, you need to learn how to attack and defend yourself if you are to survive."
Feeling uneasy, Forestpaw nodded, shifting her weight on her front paws, trying to make it appear as if she were in a comfortable position.
Mothbrook's ear twitched irritably. "We don't have all d—"
Forestpaw leaped on top of her mentor, catching her off guard long enough to tackle her.
Mothbrook twisted around, bucking Forestpaw off of her and into the peaty soil. "Great strategy," Mothbrook panted, lapping at her ruffled chest fur.
Forestpaw scrabbled to her paws and blinked. "Th-thanks…" she breathed, looking down at her paws.
"Let's try that again, but I want you to try to attack me with a different strategy," Mothbrook mewed, "I want to see everything you can do."
xxx
By sunset, Forestpaw and Mothbrook had drilled several different offense and defense strategies.
After Mothbrook had demonstrated a rather complicated move and Forestpaw had drilled it on the dirt multiple times, her mentor stood up.
"You did very well today," Mothbrook congratulated, "Go grab some fresh-kill and then rest. We'll do the same thing tomorrow, so I want you to have a good sleep."
Forestpaw dipped her head and bounded over to the fresh-kill pile.
"And don't forget to give a piece of fresh-kill to Mossbranch and Turtlemist!" Mothbrook called as she picked up a piece from the pile.
A few sunhighs ago, Turtlemist had moved into the nursery carrying Icepad's kits. She had wanted to keep going out on patrols, although Icepad and Gorgestar had forbid her from carrying out any patrols since her kitting would be in about a moon, according to Thistlestep.
Forestpaw nodded in acknowledgement and carried a piece of prey to the elder's den.
"Just drop it off in here!" Mossbranch called from inside the den.
Forestpaw hurried inside and dropped the prey underneath Mossbranch's nose. He blinked his appreciation and bit into the prey.
"It's been moons since ShadowClan has had new kits," Mossbranch rasped, "More kits means more company." He flicked his tail.
Forestpaw purred and dropped her other piece of prey in the nursery, where Turtlemist was sleeping. Not wanting to wake the expecting queen up, she dropped the prey near her belly and quietly left the nursery and ducked into the apprentice den.
She collapsed into her nest and almost immediately fell asleep.
xxx
Forestpaw was woken by startled yowls. She yawned and stepped out of the apprentice den, her eyes widening as she saw Umberpaw's bloody shape.
"It's ThunderClan!" she moaned, "ThunderClan is attacking!"