Warriors: The Prophecy of Frost - Apprentice's Journey

Chapter 6- Training by Listening

"Let the Gathering begin!" Owlstar yowled. The Clan cats stopped talking to watch the leaders giving their reports.

"I will start first if you don't mind," Breezestar mewed to the other leaders. They nodded and the RiverClan leader began his report.

"RiverClan has been doing well this green-leaf and we grow stronger with three new warriors: Wolfstrike, Mistpool and Wavewhisker," Breezestar announced with pride.

"Wolfstrike! Mistpool! Wavewhisker!" all the Clans yowled.

After Breezestar's report, Silverstar was next. "Like RiverClan, ThunderClan is doing well. Our apprentices have been training hard, and soon they will be strong warriors."

Frostpaw felt a singe of gulit as she would miss a lot of training. But I could still learn during the journey, right?

Owlstar padded to the center of the rock to speak. The other leaders stepped back slightly to make space.

"Prey is running well in ShadowClan," Owlstar mewed. "Deerfoot's patrol have succeeded in chasing away the rats that threatened our Clan a few days ago."

Frostpaw found Timberclaw next to her suddenly. "Be careful of rats in the journey," he whispered. "They have a nasty bite."

She nodded and returned to watching the leaders.

Poppyfoot had stepped forward and he announced proudly, "Dawnstar is unable to attend this Gathering because she is expecting my kits."

Some of the queens from other Clans muttered congratulations.

"That is all," Poppyfoot mewed cheerfully.

"The Gathering is over!" Silverstar yowled. "Until we meet at the next Gathering, may StarClan light your paths!"

Cloverpaw mewed a quick goodbye to Frostpaw as she ran towards her other Clanmates.

Frostpaw didn't see Beetlepaw or Brackenpaw, so she assumed that the two toms had already left.

"Frostpaw, are you coming?" Lilyflower asked. "We are leaving already."

"I'm coming," she replied, knowledge from her first Gathering in her head. Somehow, Brackenpaw's dark amber gaze is trying to tell her something. That something, terrible, dangerous is coming.

~~~~

"Attack me," Timberclaw mewed to Frostpaw.

His apprentice hesitantly sprung forward, afraid of injuring her mentor.

Timberclaw grunted with annoyance as Frostpaw barely touched his fur. "Pretend I am an enemy warrior," he mewed. "Attack me harder. A real enemy don't stand around waiting to be attacked."

Frostpaw nodded. She then sprung towards Timberclaw and was about to bat his head with her paws but he dodged it easily.

"You need to be faster," Timberclaw explained.

Frostpaw felt her ears burned with frustration. She pounced as strongly as she could.

When Timberclaw moved to the side, Frostpaw stretched out her paw, determined to hit her mentor.

She smiled in satisfaction as she managed to cuff her mentor's ears.

"Not bad," Timberclaw mewed. "I will show you a useful move against big cats and more defensive moves. Later, you are going to go running."

"Running?" Frostpaw blinked. "Why running?"

"To train your stamina," he replied reasonably. "If you are not fast, you will need to outwatch your enemy in stamina."

"Okay," she mewed uncertainly.

Timberclaw smiled slightly and mewed, "Let's get started on the move. It's called Leap-and-Hold, useful for small cats like you when attacking big cats."

"How do I do it?" Frostpaw asked.

"I would suggest that you sneak up on the cat, from the back of course. Then you quickly leap and hold onto the cat's back with unsheathed claws. Since this is training, we will trained with sheathed claws," Timberclaw mewed confidently. "But if you are too light, the cat may be able to use the back kick on you."

"How do I avoid that?" she mewed.

"Climb on their back until their back legs are out of reach," he replied. "Or you could release and do the move again and again."

"Okay," Frostpaw mewed. "Can I try it now?"

"Go ahead," Timberclaw mewed.

Frostpaw ran behind him and quickly turned to leap on his back. She leaped as high as she could but she couldn't seem to jump high enough to hold onto her mentor's fur.

"Take a longer running start," he advised.

She stepped back until she was about two fox-lengths from Timberclaw. She then ran as fast as she could manage, and took a leap.

Frostpaw managed to grab onto Timberclaw's fur and she concentrated more in order to fling herself onto his back.

"Good," he mewed. "Now I am going to act like a real enemy warrior. You will try to attack with that move."

Frostpaw narrowed her eyes in concentration as Timberclaw pretended to be an intruder.

He lunged for her and she dodged, surprised that she reacted so quickly.

She aimed for his hindquarters and pounced with her claws sheathed. Timberclaw let out a mock growl and tried to kick with his back legs.

Frostpaw released and she just barely missed his attack. As she prepared to pounce again, Timberclaw turned and swiped at her.

Panicking, she ducked and rolled to the side, almost crashing into a thorn bush. She lunged for her mentor again and managed to grab his back, avoiding the back kick move.

"Good," he lifted up his tail for the mock fight to stop.

Frostpaw was panting but she warmed up at Timberclaw's praise.

"You reacted well enough to avoid my back kick," he mewed. "But your speed require more work. However, we will work on it later. Now, we will run continuously without walking, to the camp."

Timberclaw took off, and Frostpaw was forced to move her aching paws after him. Panting hard, she swerved away from a stray rock and crashed through the bushes.

Her pelt had a few thorns on it but she kept going. Finally, she reached the camp entrance.

Blinking in surprise, her mentor wasn't there. Have I somehow outrun him?

Suddenly, Frostpaw heard leaves rustling and her body instinctively jumped backwards, her fur bristling.

A brown shape landed a heartbeat later. "I almost caught you there," Timberclaw mewed, with a slight purr. "Your instincts are good enough to avoid me, although you were a bit distracted."

Timberclaw's gaze raked over her pelt, which was ruffled and a few thorns on it. "Well, that's all for today. Go and see Stagwind for the thorns on your pelt," he mewed.

Frostpaw sighed in relief and she padded to the medicine cat den. She couldn't see Stagwind anywhere, but her apprentice, Sunstream, was sorting herbs.

"Need anything, Frostpaw?" she asked, pausing from her work.

"Some thorns on my pelt," Frostpaw replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"I will help you take it out," Sunstream mewed, walking up to her and she carefully removed each thorn gently.

Watching with fascination, Sunstream chewed some horsetail and dripped its juice onto where the thorns had been.

"This should help prevent infection," she mewed. "Do you need anything else?"

"What herb is best for rat bites?" Frostpaw asked.

"Burdock root," Sunstream replied, looking slightly confused. "Why do you ask?"

"I needed to know, that's all," Frostpaw mewed, walking out of the medicine cat den.