Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 26

Ferns crackled underneath the soft and silent pawsteps of a young IceClan apprentice. Her sleek fur glistened in the warm glow of the afternoon sun that was blazing down on her, but the heat didn't seem to phase the young she-cat as she continued to stalk her pray. She narrowed her eyes in concentration as she waited for the right moment to pounce and bite into the squirrel's neck. While she waited for her chance to spring, she made sure to stay low to the ground, the fresh green grass hid her scent very nicely, witch was just perfect for a surprise attack.

All right, she thought. This will be easy. I just have to pounce and swipe. It's not hard. Minkpaw hesitated only a moment before making the jump.

The white-furred apprentice leapt forward, sailing through the thick Greenleaf air for mere moments before reaching the squirrel. She lashed out with unsheathed claws, causing the animal to let out a cry of pain and Minkpaw quickly and swiftly bit down on its neck. The sqirrel fell limp, its pained cries silenced as the life was taken away from the poor creature.

Deciding that there was no time to waste, she shook the leaves from her fur and stood up, turning around to find a new scent. She caught a glimpse of a slender white tail flashing out of sight between two dense ferns and felt herself flush with embarrassment beneath her fur. Her mentor, Snowcloud, had been watching at exactly the right moment! Minkpaw was sure then that the rest of the assessment would go well.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she continued to search for more prey. The woods were overflowing with mice and rabbits during the warm months, but Minkpaw wasn't focused on hunting rabbits right now.

Minkpaw was never one who liked being put on the spot or being the center of attention. She wasn't sure why she got so nervous around others, but it was something she didn't let her mind dwell on for very long, especially when she had a hunting assessment to complete.

When she finished mulling over her strategy, Minkpaw managed to catch a mouse before sunhigh. Meowing in triumph and delight, she returned to the spot her mentor told her to with her meager catch. She carried the fresh-kill happily to the sunny grove, dropping the shrew and mouse at her mentor's light-colored paws and raised her head in glee.

Snowcloud, who had waited patiently for her apprentice to return, purred encouragingly, "I saw the whole thing! Great job, Minkpaw," Snowcloud told her apprentice. Minkpaw blushed and lowered her head, she could feel her ears start to grow hot at the attention that she was receiving from her mentor.

Minkpaw blushed and ducked her head, then meowed softly. "Thanks, Snowcloud," she quietly mewed. After a few more seconds of awkward silence, Minkpaw finally raised her head and looked up at her mentor.

The pair of she-cats padded their way through the brightly lit woods and pushed through the thicket tunnel into IceClan camp, which was sheltered from the rain by the towering trees that built a canopy over the dusty clearing. Minkpaw's cheeks burned with embarrassment as she placed her shrew and mouse on the bountiful fresh-kill pile, and she padded silently to the apprentice's den. Her sister, Cloudpaw, waited expectantly in the mossy patch of ground that the apprentices shared as sleeping quarters. Her fur was a deep creamy color, and her eyes a shimmering neon yellow.

"So, Minkpaw, tell me! How did your assessment go?" she mewed in a friendly tone.

Minkpaw replied with a small smile. "It went better then I hoped it would! Thanks a lot for your help, I couldn't have done it without you!"

Cloudpaw blushed and lowered her head, but she smiled up at Minkpaw. "Thanks, Minkpaw, but it wasn't just me, Snowcloud and Ripplepaw also helped you out with your training!" she mewed in a teasing tone. Minkpaw blushed at the mention of Ripplepaw. It was a secret that Cloudpaw knew about, her sister had had a crush on Ripplepaw ever since they had become apprentices. Cloudpaw had tried to help her sister find ways to confess her feelings, but Cloudpaw was just to nervous and shy to say anything to Ripplepaw about the matter.