Tawnystar's Secret

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Tawnypaw woke up, exhausted. She'd been an apprentice for almost a moon now, and every night she had snuck out to practice her new battle moves. Today she would be showing Cloudheart her new moves.

Stormpaw licked her flank. "Come on, Cloudheart's waiting."

Tawnypaw sighed before rolling over, standing up, and padding into the clearing. The brambles behind her rustled as Reedpaw and Hailpaw emerged. One moon older, they still loomed over her. At least Stormpaw, Sedgepaw, and Sparrowpaw weren't that bad.

"There you are!" Cloudheart rushed over. "I think that today is the day I promised you to go battle training, hm?"

Tawnypaw nodded excitedly. "Yep!"

Cloudheart started racing out of camp. "Then lets go!"

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Cloudheart bushed her fur up. "Attack me!"

Tawnypaw smirked before racing forward, her fur slicked down. Cloudheart immediately took an underestimate, as she sidestepped. Tawnypaw leapt, but changed course, landing on Cloudheart's back. Cloudheart went limp, but Tawnypaw only let go to leap off before Cloudheart could fling her off. She spun around, as Cloudheart crouched, staring at her chest. Tawnypaw knew that Cloudheart would pounce on her tail, so as Cloudheart leapt, she tucked her tail in, stood on her hind paws, and slashed Cloudheart's back, claws sheathed.

Cloudheart backed away, stunned. "Where did you learn that?" She puffed, out of breath. Or maybe it was the thought of being beaten by the smallest apprentice. Tawnypaw remembered about how she would feel once the kits were bigger then her. Aspenfrosts kits were almost bigger then her while only being two moons younger, while Poppyleaf's three moon old kits catching up to Aspenfrosts. "I thought about my very first session. Then I might have added some trickery."

Cloudheart purred. "You catch on quick." She stood up. "Let's go hunt."

Tawnypaw bounced around. Hunting was great! It wasn't as good as fighting, but she would rather hunt then clean out the elders bedding. She did it yesterday, and it was Stormpaw's turn. "Ok!"

Cloudheart thought for a minute. "Why don't we go for a practice assessment?"

Tawnypaw nodded. "So do a normal assessment?"

Cloudheart purred. "But this is to train you. I won't make you a warrior, even if you pass."Cloudheart flicked her tail. "Therefore, you shall pick your place to hunt."

Tawnypaw thought for a minute. Fish wasn't a good prey to hunt. it was so easy to catch! And birds were all feathers, that wasn't a great thing to hunt. So she decided on the big willow. There, she might be able to catch some mice. (By the way, my RiverClan cats eat forest prey along with fish)

She padded away, and soon met the big willow. He parted her jaws to taste the air, and smelled mouse. She flicked her ears to where a mouse was nibbling on a beech nut. She stalked it slowly before leaping forward and delivering the kill-bite. She gave thanks to StarClan and buried the mouse before parting her jaws to scent the air. Horror rippled through her pelt as the fresh smell of badger wafted into her mouth. Tawnypaw looked around, partly hoping that the badger wasn't right there. But as she looked around, she saw a big gray badger, lips drawn back in a snarl. Tawnypaw stood on her hind legs, growling. The badger swept a hefty paw for her head, but she ducked. As the badger growled in rage, he leapt over it's shoulder, spinning in mid-air. She then was ready to sink her teeth into its back leg. It spun around, and knocked her to the ground. It put its heavy paw on her chest. A little more weight and she would be dead...