Nightpaw woke with a yawn and thought about Koistep's odd behavior around her and her litter mates. She decided she might be able to ask her mother about it.
She padded towards the nursery. "Momma?" She purred silently into the den. "Nightpaw?" Answered Brackenstorm's voice. "I need to ask you something," Nightpaw walked over to her mother and sat next to her. "Do you know why Koistep is acting so odd around me?" She asked. Brackenstorm looked puzzled, then cornced, then looked as if she expected this. "Yes, it's time you knew. Go get your littermates."
Nightpaw bounded out of the nursery and got them. "Duskpaw, Flamepaw, Foxpaw, Momma needs us." She didn't wait for their response before going back and joining their mother. It was a few more minutes before they appeared. "Nightpaw has brought up a good point," Began Brackenstorm. "Koistep has been acting a little 'odd' ,as Nightpaw puts it, around you all and it's time you learned why." The apprentices leaned in. "Koistep is," She hesitated. "Your father." The apprentices gasped. "What?" Asked Flamepaw. "It's true. Go on now, Nightpaw tell him I told you."
Nightpaw bounded off towards the warriors den to talk to her father. Wow, Koistep is our father! She couldn't believe it. "Koistep?" She called into the den. "Yes?" Answered a voice from behind her. She jumped a little before turning around. "Momma wanted me to tell you that she told us." Koistep nodded. "Thank you for telling me, Nightpaw. Go start your training now." He nudged her with his muzzle. "Okay."
She bounded across the clearing to the prey pile and took a vole to the apprentices eating-stump. No other apprentices were there so she quickly gulped down her vole before going to meet Sacredthorn near the camp entrance.
"Ready?" He asked, looking down at her. "Yep!" Sacredthorn stood and led her out of the camp, today we will practice sparring.
Sacredthorn led her to an open spot under a tree. "I'm going to demonstrate how to tackle a cat from behind, if you wonder how, I've asked Koistep to let Lionpaw help me for the day." Nightpaw hesitated before saying, "When will he be here?" Sacredthorn gestured with his head, "Now." Nightpaw looked over and saw Lionpaw trailing towards them.
"Here to battle train!" Lionpaw said gleefully. "What are we starting with?" He asked, turning towards Sacred thorn. "Attacking from behind. I figured you could attack me from the back?" Lionpaw nodded. "Okay, Nightpaw watch this," Sacredthorn turned around, 'minding his business', and Lionpaw ran up and gripped his shoulders. Nightpaw could barely tell if it was fake.
Sacredthorn rolled onto his back writhing. Lionpaw scratched at his back with his hind legs before using Sacredthorn as a place to launch himself off of. He landed on his feet a few fox-lengths away, Sacredthorn got up and praised the apprentice. "You demonstrated well young Lionpaw." He nodded to him. "Now, Nightpaw, I want you to try and attack Lionpaw from the back."
Lionpaw turned around and waited for her to attack. Nightpaw paced back a few steps and then bounded towards him. She gripped his shoulders then scratched his lower back with her hind legs. She propelled herself upwards then landed in front of Lionpaw. She hissed, in a play fight way, then slowly bound towards him. Lionpaw crouched defensively, Nightpaw sprang at him. She put in an effort to make it seem as though she was going for his back. It seemed to work because Lionpaw sprang up giving Nightpaw exactly what she wanted. Nightpaw flung herself towards his stomach gripping on. The two apprentices tumbled until eventually Lionpaw was on his back panting.
"You did good, Nightpaw." He said between breaths. "Thanks, you too." She said, panting as well.
Sacredthorn padded over to the two of them and Nightpaw backed off a little. "You both did well out there. Nightpaw, that was a good tactic, making it seem like you were aiming for his back but were really going for his stomach. Well played." Sacredthorn praised her. The apprentices nodded still panting and Nightpaw said, "Thank you, Sacredthorn."
Sacredthorn led the apprentices in the direction of the SunClan camp before telling them to go catch something. Nightpaw caught a vole and a field mouse before padding back to where Sacredthorn, Lionpaw, and her agreed to meet when done. That's when she smelled an enemy clan.
LakeClan, She thought. She dropped her prey, buried it quickly and bounded towards where they agreed to meet. Why are they on our territory? She pondered as she ran.
To her luck Sacredthorn was in the place waiting. "Where's your prey?" He asked. "No time, LakeClan scent, nearby, recent." Nightpaw said, alarm in her voice. Sacredthorn's eyes widened. "We must find Lionpaw."
Nightpaw picked up a scent trail and they found Lionpaw shortly after. "LakeClan scent nearby, and it was not stale." Nightpaw said urgently. "Nightpaw, go warn Koistep and Saturnstar, me and Lionpaw will go look for them." Ordered Sacredthorn.
Nightpaw bounded off towards camp and straight to Saturnstar and Koistep, they were talking with Silvernose and Shinyberry.
"Yes, Nightpaw?" Meowed Saturnstar. "There's LakeClan scent nearby, it's not stale at all either." Koistep's ears perked up at this. "Lead Koistep to the scent, I will gather up a party of warriors and apprentices. If it is a threat, Nightpaw, come back to camp and tell me." Nightpaw nodded then led the way towards the scent.
She stopped whenever they arrived at where she first smelled it. "If we follow Sacredthorn and Lionpaw's scent we will be able to find them." She told her father. Koistep nodded then followed her.
They approached a group of about two dozen LakeClan cats. Sacredthorn and Lionpaw were confronting them. "Why are you on our territory?" Hissed Sacredthorn. Nightpaw recognized the LakeClan leader, Riverstar, a silver tom, which is the cat who answered. "We have smelt SunClan on our territory so we have come to settle things." Answered Riverstar with an evil glint in his eyes.
Koistep looked down at Nightpaw and whispered, "Alert the clan." Nightpaw nodded then bound off towards the clan.
