I actually have sort of a plan for this one. I actually have two, but I think this one will be better.

EXPECTATIONS

"Tuck and roll, Mousepaw, tuck and roll! No, roll the other way…"

Mousepaw rose to his paws, shaking the sand off his pelt. "Did I do it right that time, Birdflight?"

Birdflight nodded weakly, even though he hadn't done it right. "You were almost there!"

Mousepaw's face fell. "Oh…not perfect yet?"

"Almost!" Birdflight's heart sank for the little kitten. Brokenstar had made him an apprentice when he was three moons old, and now he was three and a half moons. Supposedly there would be a big battle with WindClan soon. Mousepaw isn't ready for a real battle! He's much too small and too young! "Um, let's go hunting for a little bit, and then we can go back to camp."

"That was so close!" Birdflight called to Mousepaw, who had just pounced on a vole but missed by a mouse-length. Mousepaw turned around. "Not close enough, though." His small ears folded against his head.

"I-it's okay!" Her heart nearly cracked.

"No, it's not…all the other apprentices have caught prey before, but I've never even caught one piece!"

That was true. "Well…maybe-" Birdflight caught herself before she made things worse. "It's okay," she repeated.

Mousepaw sighed. Birdflight thought quickly. "Let's head back to camp. We don't want to get rained on."

Mousepaw glanced at the sky, which was dark gray and threatening to let the cold raindrops out. Birdflight picked up her rabbit and starling and led her apprentice back to camp.

"What?" Brokenstar bellowed. "You caught nothing? Not one piece of prey? It's newleaf! How could you catch nothing in newleaf?"

"He-he's still just a kit, Brokenstar…" Birdflight stood up for her young apprentice, who cowered beside her, his eyes wide and ears flattened against his head.

"Did I ask you to say anything?" Brokenstar demanded. Birdflight shook her head.

"As for you…" He glared at Mousepaw. "…You will clean out the elders' den for a moon! And by the way, I want you to have a mock fight with Hazelpaw tomorrow."

Birdflight bristled. Hazelpaw was the second oldest apprentice, beside Blackpaw. She had to say something. She couldn't let Mousepaw be trampled by Hazelpaw. "Brokenstar, I don't think Mousepaw is ready to fight such an experienced apprentice. He's only been training for half a moon…"

"Shut up!" Brokenstar swiped his unsheathed claw at Birdflight, catching her ear. She wailed and ducked her head, letting the tip of her ear rip. Blood trickled down her head and she gasped from the pain. Mousepaw hovered over her. "Hey! That was mean!"

Brokenstar swatted him away, knocking him over a fox-length away. He shoved his way into his den in silence.

Some warriors peered out of the den from Birdflight's yowling. Sunspots, a ginger and white queen, raced out of the nursery to help her. "Birdflight, did he do this to you?" She pointed her muzzle at the leader's den.

Birdflight nodded and winced, hot tears burning the backs of her eyes. "Let me go get Rosethorn." Sunspots spun around and darted into the medicine cat's den. A few moments later she returned with a golden-brown she-cat carrying cobweb and marigold.

"Rosethorn…" Birdflight panted. "Mousepaw…" She pointed her tail to her limp gray apprentice. Sunspots rushed over to him while Rosethorn applied the marigold juice to Birdflight's ripped ear. Then she quickly patted the cobweb on it. "Come to me tomorrow morning so I can replace it." Rosethorn stood and hurried over to Mousepaw.

"I heard what happened with Brokenstar," Redstripe, one of Birdflight's best friends, meowed when they were in their den. It was nighttime, and rain was pouring down heavily. Birdflight nodded and rested her chin on her paws. "I just…don't think Mousepaw can live up to his crazy, too-high expectations."

Another crappy chapter! Yay.

xx-Starfall-xx