Chapter 4

Whitepaw's POV

Whitepaw headed over to the back of the den and curled up. Soon he fell into a deep sleep.

Whitepaw slowly awoke and looked around. He was back in the apprentices den. He got up and stretched. He walked outside and saw the sun was up, not high in the sky but past dawn. Birchheart and Blossomheart were outside the Warriors den sharing tongues happily, Leafpaw and Spotpaw were walking out of the camp behind their mentors. Graykit, Sorrelkit and Smallkit were playfighting outside the nursery and Stripefrost was watching. The Elders were outside their den sharing tongues and Heartcloud, Littlefur and Mistheart were walking towards the Gorse tunnel.

Just then Whitepaw spotted Fallenheart coming over from the Warriors den. Whitepaw walked over to him and stopped.

'Good morning Whitepaw.' Fallenheart meowed. 'Did you hear that Blossomheart is having kits?'

Whitepaw shook his head.

'Apparently it's been over a moon since she found out.' He meowed. 'Anyway today we will be doing some battle practice, Birchheart told me he showed you some battle moves so I'm going to see how good you are.'

'Okay Fallenheart.' He meowed and followed his mentor out of camp.

The forest was quiet and a gentle breeze went through the forest.

Fallenheart ran through the forest with Whitepaw followed.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the training clearing.

Fallenheart jumped over to the other side of the clearing and crouched.

Whitepaw crouched as well. Just then Fallenheart launched at him and Whitepaw sat down and waited. Just before Fallenheart hit him he jumped up and dodged. He skidded to a halt on the ground, faced towards Fallenheart. He launched at his mentor and flipped him over, so he was on his back. He scratched at his cheek and then jumped up, just missing Fallenheart kicking at his belly. He landed and jumped back a few more time. He looked around the clearing and Fallenheart was gone. Whitepaw sniffed and tried to pinpoint Fallenheart location. Just then Whitepaw was pushed to the ground. Whitepaw struggled to get free but Fallenheart held him down tight. Whitepaw pulled down his back legs and pushed them towards Fallenheart belly. Fallenheart jumped back off the apprentice before he could and Whitepaw jumped into a bush. He sneaked around towards Fallenheart and then jumped onto his back. He bit at his ear and Fallenheart yowled. He let go of his mentor's ear a few moments later and jumped towards the other side of the clearing.

Both cats were panting by now. Fallenheart sat down and licked a fore paw before pushing it over his ear.

Whitepaw sat down too.

'Did Birchheart teach you that or did you already know that?' Fallenheart asked.

'Birchheart taught me.' He meowed. 'I couldn't even beat Icepaw before and then when we were waiting by the Gorse tunnel I jumped on her!'

'Wow that's good.' Fallenheart meowed. 'I'll teach you a bit more and then we will go and hunt.'

Whitepaw nodded and crouched down.

Fallenheart darted into a bush and Whitepaw looked around. Just then Fallenheart launched from behind his apprentice and tackled him down.

'Whitepaw be smart instead of staying here what could you do?' Fallenheart asked and jumped back.

'Jump into a bush?' Whitepaw suggested.

'Yes but what else?' Fallenheart asked.

Whitepaw thought for a moment before answering.

'Jumping onto a tree branch?' Whitepaw asked.

'Yes now let's try that again.' Fallenheart meowed and crouched again.

Whitepaw copied his mentor. Just then Fallenheart darted into a bush. Whitepaw looked around for a moment.

Come on Whitepaw jumped into a tree quick! He thought to himself.

The white tom jumped up and unsheathed his claws, so that he could climb the tree. He landed and pushed his claws into the tree bark before jumping up and onto a branch. He looked around and couldn't see his mentor anywhere. Just then he heard something behind him and he turned to see a blur and he fell out of the tree along with the blur.

He turned around so he could see the ground and tried to jump.

'Be smart Whitepaw!' Fallenheart meowed and the blur disappeared.

Whitepaw tried to jump again but it didn't work. He hit the ground and he slowly got up.

'Ow.' He meowed.

Just then Fallenheart appeared beside him.

'Whitepaw what could you have down then?' Fallenheart asked him.

Whitepaw rose to his paws and licked his front left paw.

'Try to grab another branch?' He asked.

'Yes now do you want to try again or not?' His mentor asked.

Whitepaw nodded and Fallenheart jumped over to the other side of the clearing.

The two tom crouched down and then Fallenheart darted into a bush again. Whitepaw jumped into the tree and ranked his claws into the bark. He jumped up and onto a branch. There were a few below him. Just then a blur appeared behind him and pushed them both off the tree branch again. Fallenheart disappeared again and Whitepaw unsheathed his claws and raked them into a branch. He clung there for a few moments before pushing his way up and onto the branch. Just then Fallenheart appeared on the branch above him and Whitepaw jumped down just as Fallenheart jumped down onto the branch Whitepaw was on. Whitepaw was panting now and Fallenheart jumped down to. The two cats stood eye to eye panting.

'Good job Whitepaw!' Fallenheart praised.

Whitepaw smiled and sat down.

'Okay come on now we are going hunting!' Fallenheart meowed and ran out of the clearing.

Whitepaw ran after him and found him waiting outside.

'Okay now you go that way!' Fallenheart meowed and pointed his tail. 'I'll go this way.'

Fallenheart disappeared and Whitepaw ran the way the Tortoiseshell tom told him. He stopped a little way away from the training clearing and sniffed.

Faint traced of a Streamclan patrol, old fox scent and a vole! The apprentice though.

Reminding himself to tell Mistheart he crouched down and stalked towards a bush. He jumped and a vole looked at him, before starting to run. But Whitepaw jumped onto the vole and killed it with a quick bit to the neck.

Whitepaw headed back to camp, past sun high with a vole and two mice in his jaw. He stopped at the Gorse tunnel and sniffed.

Nothing unusual. He thought and walked into the Gorse tunnel.

He came out of the tunnel and into the clearing, Birchheart was coming towards him with Icepaw, Blossomheart was over by the nursery with Stripefrost, Blazefur and Bluedream sunning her swollen belly and watching the other queens kits play. Mistheart was over by the highrock with Littlefur, Lakepool, Mouseheart and some other cats organizing patrol.

He walked over to the fresh-kill pile and dropped his prey. He pushed his way thought the crowd of cats and to Mistheart.

'Mistheart?' He asked and looked at the deputy.

'Yes what is it Whitepaw?' The deputy asked.

'I was just out hunting and scented an old fox trail, I wanted to tell you just in case.' He meowed.

'Good thing you did now where was it?' She asked.

'Near the training clearing.' He meowed.

'Okay Lakepool and Mouseheart go and check that out.' She meowed.

The Silver she-cat nodded and took off towards the Gorse tunnel with Mouseheart.

'Is it okay if I go and hunt again?' He asked.

Mistheart nodded.

Whitepaw walked over to the Gorse tunnel and Fallenheart entered.

'Oh hello Whitepaw.' Fallenheart meowed through a mouthful of prey. 'Did you hunt?'

'Yes I was just dropping off my prey and now I'm going to go and hunt again.'

'Good.' Fallenheart meowed.

Fallenheart went over to the fresh-kill pile and Whitepaw left the clearing.

He traced a vole scent through the forest and to the Lostclan border.

He was just about to turn back when the bushes rustled on the other side and Lakestar appeared on the other side.

'Hello Whitepaw what are you doing here?' The queen asked her son.

'I'm out hunting.' Whitepaw meowed. 'I traced a scent from the forest and it lead here.'

'Oh well I shouldn't be stopping you.' She meowed. 'Go ahead, good luck!'

The Lostclan leader left and Whitepaw walked back into the forest. He sniffed and saw a mouse in a moss covering. He jumped onto its back and bit its neck. He placed his prey down and then heard a vole running a bush. He crouched and stalked forward. The vole sniffed and then went on what it was doing. He jumped and the vole squealed, he bit its neck and sighed.

No more prey here. He thought and picked up his prey.

He retraced his steps towards camp with the vole and mouse.

He found the gorse tunnel and entered.

The clan was now sitting and eating. He placed his prey onto the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a two mice and walked over to Silverpaw who was sitting alone.

The sat down next to her and smiled.

She took a bit of her vole and smiled back.

'How was your training today?' Silverpaw asked.

'Good Fallenheart tested me on the things Birchheart taught me yesterday, then he taught me something then I hunted.' He meowed and took a bit out one of his mice. 'What did Shinyheart have you doing?'

'First hunting then battle practice.' She meowed.

Soon enough Icepaw joined them.

'What did Birchheart have you doing?' Silverpaw asked her sister.

'I first went on border patrol then I went hunting.' She meowed.

After eating the three apprentices got up and entered the den. They curled up around the den. Spotpaw and Leafpaw were curled up in their usual spot, so were Brackenpaw and Silverpaw and Icepaw and Whitepaw curled up at the back on each side.