The Burning- Book One: Blossom [DRAFT]

The Raven and the Robin

"Robinpaw? Robinpaw, wake up!"

Thrushpaw's words took a second to penetrate Robinpaw's sleepy mind as she slowly blinked her eyes open. "What is it?"

Thrushpaw let out a sigh of relief. "Finally. I thought Quailpaw was going to kill me!"

Robinpaw got up and stretched quickly, staring at her denmate curiously. "Quailpaw?"

"Yeah, we're training with her today," mewed Thrushpaw. "She was so annoyed that I hadn't woken you up yet. I actually thought she was going to attack me."

"I still might if you don't get your sorry mouse-brained tails out of there!" Quailpaw's familiar, irritated call came from outside the den. She did not sound excited about this arrangement.

Robinpaw shared a quick glance with Thrushpaw. "She sounds serious."

The white she cat bobbed her head in agreement. "I think she is." By silent agreement, the two she-cats exited the den.

Outside, Robinpaw was greeted by a not-too-friendly tortoiseshell face. "At last," Quailpaw mewed, rolling her eyes. "I was beginning to think you'd talk in there until the moon chased the sun across the sky."

"Be nice, Quailpaw," reprimanded Deerleg tiredly. They'd obviously had this conversation before.

Quailpaw flicked her tail in irritation and stopped talking.

"So," mewed Foxtail in the sudden silence, causing Robinpaw to shift her gaze to her. "We're doing some joint training today. We're all going to do a bit of bird hunting."

Quailpaw groaned. "Again?"

Deerleg turned to face her apprentice. "That's what you'll be doing until you can do it properly, Quailpaw. This is no one's fault but your own."

Even as Quailpaw muttered under her breath, Robinpaw couldn't help agreeing with her. She'd only caught one bird, ever, and it was in Testing when there were seeds everywhere. In fact, now she thought about if, she'd caught the only bird in their Testing. A robin.

"We're going to follow the river for a while upstream, and we are only hunting birds. If a squirrel runs over your talons, ignore it. We'll get those later. Is that understood?" It was a dark brown tabby who spoke this time. Robinpaw assumed it must be Thrushpaw's mentor...Moletail, was it?

"Robinpaw? Do you understand?" Foxtail spoke this time, snapping Robinpaw out of her daze.

The silver trainee felt her fur grow hot as she realized she hadn't nodded with the others. "Yes, Foxtail."

"Good."

Moletail turned to the trainees for a moment then gestured toward the river with his tail. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go hunt!"

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Robinpaw was stalking through the undergrowth as silently as she could, ears pricked for the slightest chirp of a songbird.

How can it be so hard to find a bird? she wondered. Surely some must live in all these trees!

But then again, there never was much birdsong in the forest. Perhaps the birds lived farther away from camp...

Caw!

It took all of Robinpaw's willpower not to snap her head toward the cry. Slowly, she turned so she faced the noise, taking extra care not to step on any twigs. Her yellow eyes scanned the trees keenly.

Come on, bird. Make some noise again.

Caw! CAW!

There. Robinpaw locked her eyes on the raven, staring at it with so much attention it felt like she could kill it from there with her eyes.