Cinders to Flames

Chapter 4

"Cinderpaw! It's time to wake up!" a familiar meow woke Cinderpaw from her slumber. As she stretched and trotted out of her den into the sunlight, last night's events came rushing back to her. Sneaking out of camp, her fight with the rouges, and her deal with the mysterious she-cat. Cinderpaw shook her head. She mustn't let other thoughts distract her. Cinderpaw walked over to meet Mudsplash, dipping her head in a small bow of respect.

"Go get something to eat and then I will tell you my plans for today's training," he told her, flicking his tail in dismissal. Cinderpaw nodded and grabbed a thrush from the fresh-kill pile, sitting beside Blackpaw to eat.

"What are you doing today?" Blackpaw asked.

"Mudsplash hasn't told me yet." Cinderpaw replied, tearing into her prey. "But I think I'm doing battle practice. Well, he promised me yesterday," she added.

"Come on Blackpaw!" Yellowleaf called, and he quickly got to his paws.

"Sorry, gotta go," he meowed, rushing to meet his mentor. Cinderpaw finished her thrush, and then trotted up to Mudsplash.

"So, what are we doing today? Cinderpaw asked.

"We are going to learn some battle moves," he meowed.

"Yes!" she meowed happily, excitement bubbling up in her chest.

"And we will be training with Heronpaw," he added.

Cinderpaw's tail drooped. "Do we have to train with Heronpaw?" she asked grumpily.

"Yes. It will be good for you. Heronpaw is a very good fighter, and more experienced than you. Who knows, you might learn something from him." Mudsplash meowed.

Cinderpaw groaned inwardly. She knew Heronpaw was dying to make Cinderpaw a fool out of herself and prove that she couldn't be a warrior. Mudsplash and Cinderpaw met up with Heronpaw and his mentor, Hawktalon, at the training clearing.

Hawktalon was Wolfpaw's older brother. Iceleap had told her that when Hawktalon was born, his two other siblings had died from Greencough. When Hawktalon was an apprentice, his younger brother, Wolfpaw was born. In the fire that had hurt Cinderpaw's leg, his sister, Frostkit, died. Cinderpaw had only a faint memory of her.

Cinderpaw stepped out of the forest, into the clearing. The training clearing was a large glade, which is an open space in a forest. Since there were no trees to block the light from the ground, thick grass grew, which made it perfect for training. When she spotted Heronpaw, he was complaining to his mentor.

"Can I train with Wolfpaw instead? Cinderpaw doesn't even know how to fight." Heronpaw whined.

"Not happening." Hawktalon meowed, "You will have plenty of time to train with Wolfpaw," he added. Heronpaw huffed and turned to Cinderpaw. She stepped into the sandy circle in the middle of the grassy glade. The two mentors jumped up onto some large flat rocks that stood at the edge of the training circle. Cinderpaw and Heronpaw started to circle each other slowly. Heronpaw smiled viciously, and Cinderpaw suddenly got a vision of Bax from the Twolegplace. She made a guess that the two toms had a similar fighting style. Heronpaw leapt at her, but Cinderpaw sidestepped, her paws moving fast on the soft sand. Heronpaw landed roughly, but recovered quickly, leaping at her again, batting her ears with his claws. Cinderpaw narrowed her eyes, and feinted to the left, but then swiftly turned to the right, clawing at Heronpaw's flank. Heronpaw reared up on his hind legs, wrestling Cinderpaw to the sandy ground. Heronpaw let her go, and she shook sand out of her pelt. She looked expectantly at Mudsplash; her ears drooped in shame at her defeat.