Warriors: The Prophecy (Book One)

Chapter Two: Training

CHAPTER 2

"No! No! No!" Silverhawk growled, baring his teeth in anger. "Claws sheathed! All you do is land a blow on their head and trip them!"

I sighed. "I'm sorry!" It was sort of a wail rather than a mew.

"Sorry?" Silverhawk repeated. "Sorry isn't good enough!" The tom lashed out, landing a blow on my shoulder.

I stumbled back at the hit, my shoulder stinging. StarClan cats can't really be like this! I thought my eyes wide.

"Do it again!" he growled, pacing the large clearing.

Sighing, I got up on my back paws and lashed out a plant, the tops of it coming off, then I lashed out at the bottom of it, cutting it out of the ground permanently.

"That's much better." Silverhawk's eyes shone with horror, like the praise was killing him inside.

"No! Stay away!" A light brown tabby bursted into the clearing, his eyes wild. He was a little smaller than me, he looked funny too, but I couldn't put my paw on how.

"Stop moving!" a sharp voice followed and a she-cat entered after.

My heart lurched. Mapleshade! "W-whats going on?" I asked, looking at Silverhawk.

"She's gonna kill me!" The younger tom stood behind me, terror in his green eyes.

I looked at Mapleshade, snarling. "Stay back, y-you rabbit-brain!"

Her tail lashed. "Move, Russetkit. I wouldn't want to hurt you." Her eyes glowed with pure hatred. She didn't move, giving me a second to get out of the way. But I stood where I was, teeth bared.

"Over my dead body." I rose to my hind paws, lashing out at her, I followed the motions Silverhawk taught me just a few moments before. I hit my paw on top of Mapleshade's head, where she froze up, surprised. Then I went down to four paws and easily tripped the she-cat and pinned her down, my eyes glaring down into hers.

"Y-you..." Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Not such an apprentice anymore, am I?" I hissed in her ear and stood up, turning to the other tom. "Close your eyes," I commanded and he did. I turned to Silverhawk. "I'll see you tomorrow night, same time and always... Same place." I huffed and closed my eyes as well.

***

My heart beated slowed as I carefully placed my shoulder on the ground, letting Hawkheart look at it.

"So how did you get this again?" the medicine cat asked, not looking at me.

"I told you: A thorn. I already picked it out and buried it though. So no use looking." I rolled my eyes, as if he were dumb but I knew that wasn't the case. He suspected me and this didn't help.

"That must have been a pretty big thorn..." Hawkheart mumbled putting cobwebs on it.

"How's Russetkit's shoulder?" my father's deep voice was behind me, showing no emotion.

"He'll live," he replied. "He can do what he wants, just no chasing rabbits." He walked away.

"Heatherstar wants to see you," Redclaw mewed. "So follow me." He turned away and I followed him.

Redclaw pushed his way into the den, Heatherstar sat silently as she watched us.

"Look," I began, "if this is about the thorn I didn't know it was in my nest and I already got rid of it and-"

She cut me off with a simple flick of her tail. "I don't care about the thorn, Russetkit. I wanted to tell you that your apprentice ceremony will be tomorrow at dawn. So be ready." She was completely calm, a grin on her face.