A New Generation {BOOK 1} {COMPLETED}

{chapter 5} Moonhigh Troubles (Warrior Apprentices)

"Monarchpaw, your putting all your weight on your left side, put your weight on your haunches!" Meadowslate encouraged his apprentice and gave him advice.

Monarchpaw took the advice and widened his eyes, trying to see better throughout the darkness.

Sagepaw and Coyotepaw were doing fine at putting their weight on their haunches and practiced stalking.

"good, now try stalking forward." Meadowslate saw his apprentice getting the hang of this. Monarchpaw did as he was told and kept his weight on his haunches and stalked forward with ease.

"good, now do that over and over again till you can do it with less focusing on putting your weight on your haunches, if you only focus on your weight your focus will fade from a enemy warrior or prey." Meadowslate instructed his apprentice.

"Coyotepaw, you've gotten the hang of this," Silentstone praised the apprentice "take a break until your brothers have finished." the deputy saw the tiredness in her eyes. Coyotepaw moved out of her brothers way and sat under a fallen tree trunk.

Her bracken pelt was almost invisible under the shadow of the tree, the only thing that made her visible was her shining emerald eyes and the moon shining onto parts of her pelt.

She widened her eyes, watching her brothers. "Sagepaw, Monarchpaw go ahead and rest while we discuss what will happen next." Silentstone dismissed the two tomcats and huddled with Lionfang and Meadowslate.

The two apprentices padded under the tree trunk and sat down next to their sister, "I bet that I can climb the tree trunk without falling once." Sagepaw purred "bet."  Monarchpaw grinned.

Coyotepaw watched her brother pad off into the darkness, in a few heartbeats the two apprentices under the tree trunk heard the sound of claws grasping into the wood.

Sagepaw was on top of the tree trunk and leaned forward so that his head was hanging beneath the trunk.

"see?" his two siblings looked at his head dangling "I told you i could climb it." he smirked. "we get it now get down." Coyotepaw glanced past her brothers head, their mentors had stopped discussing.

Sagepaw's head disappeared and the scrapping of wood and claws sounded once more before Sagepaw leaped down and sat under the tree trunk.

"impressive climbing, Sagepaw, it'd be more impressive if it was a standing tree." Silentstone commented turning his gaze to the apprentice.

"now, your next task will be more difficult," Silentstone glanced at the apprentices before him. "you will each catch a piece of prey and bring it back here." Silentstone pointed his tail to the forest of trees behind them.

"one at a time, once one returns the other one follows into the forest." Silentdtone explained glancing at Monarchpaw, with a flick of his tail the apprentice ran out of the hollow and into the forest.

Monarchpaw walked through the undergrowth. He kept his mouth slightly open to find the tiniest scent of prey, soon he scented a mouse a few tail-lengths away.

He slipped into a crouch and kept in mind his training from a few moments ago. His eyes wide, trying to spot the mouse.

His eyes scanned until he found the mouse feeding on a big seed. He stalked forward, his heart pounding in his ears, he made his way over to the mouse until the distance was short enough.

He pounced on the mouse, claws unsheathed, it noticed him pouncing and tried scrambling away, but before it had the chance it was beneath the thorn-sharp claws of its attacker.

With a bone crushing noise the mouse went limp under the paw.

He removed his paw from the limp fresh-kill and scooped it up with his mouth, holding the fresh-kill tightly between his jaws, not tight enough the tear the flesh but strong enough to keep it from flying out his jaws.