I have not updated in forever! Happy New Year, everyone!
CHAPTER 13
Cherrynose paused at the entrance to the appren-tices' den. "Amberpaw, Lilypaw, Seedpaw, Snowpaw!"
The four apprentices got to their paws and followed her out of the den. Cherrynose joined Mousewhisker as they set out from the camp. She tried to ignore Molewhisker, who was making faces at her.
Halfway along the path, she whirled around to face him.
"Stop it!"
She turned back to Amberpaw, blinking at the blinding sunlight that reflected off of the apprentice's dark ginger pelt.
"Either warm, or cold, but never a mix!" Cherrynose sighed, trying not to splash her paws in the slush from the melting snow.
Amberpaw huffed. "My paws are going to be stained from all this! And stains stay on white fur longer than any other color!" she shook out her forepaw, shuddering.
"Finally," Thornclaw sighed. "I've trained so many apprentices that I know the training hollow too well."
"We'll start with Cherrynose and Mousewhisker," Thornclaw went on, stepping back to give the two warriors room to show the move.
Molewhisker made another face. Cherrynose shot him a fierce glare, then turned back to Mousewhisker.
The apprentices watched as Cherrynose faked to the right, then ducked and slid under Mousewhisker. She lifted her hind legs and ran them along his belly, careful to keep her claws sheathed. Then she slid back out, arched her back and swatted him away.
"Amberpaw, why don't you try it on Snowpaw?" Cherrynose suggested.
Amberpaw dipped her head, then turned to her brother.
"Why couldn't Dewpaw come?" Lilypaw complained.
"Dewpaw is more advanced. He knows this move already."
Lilypaw sighed. "Who do I try this on then?"
Seedpaw was already trying the move on Thornclaw.
Molewhisker glared at Cherrynose again before letting Lilypaw try the move on him.
Cherrynose watched Amberpaw. Snowpaw was underneath her. As Snowpaw prepared to rake her belly, Amberpaw curled her tail and began whacking him with it.
Cherrynose couldn't stop laughing.
Snowpaw squirmed. Amberpaw let him go.
"Nice trick, Amberpaw." Cherrynose praised.
...
"Leaving already?"
Graystripe confronted Streak and Foxy. Flurry, Fuzz, and Pumpkin bounced around their paws.
"Yes." Foxy answered. "We'll visit every time the moon is shaped like a claw on the right side of the sky."
"The claw-moon. See you then."
"Good-bye, Pumpkin!" Mistkit called, sad to see her friend go. "I'll see you at the claw-moon!"
"You're lucky you know what everyone's talking about," Pumpkin called back. "Nobody ever explained this moon stuff to me."
"You'll be back in half a moon," Mistkit explained.
Mistkit watched them leave. With a sigh, she turned to go back to the nursery.
...
This has to be the shortest and most pathetic chapter ever. Maybe with a review it will get better.