A New Generation {BOOK 1} {COMPLETED}

{chapter 6} Hunting (Apprentice Squad)

"we have the day off, so what should we do?" Timberpaw mewed excitedly, he was finally going to spent some more time with his siblings.

"maybe we could play or even teach Wolfkit and Dawnkit?" Coyotepaw suggested "sure, or we could ask our mentors if we can go hunting, help the hunting patrols and such." Sagepaw limped slightly, his paw had gotten pretty injured but his leg would heal good.

"let's do hunting, leaf-bare is coming soon and the clan could use the prey." Timberpaw agreed "okay, Timberpaw go ask Rainwhiskers, we will ask our mentors. Meet at the entrance?" Sagepaw replied.

"okay, I'll be right back." Timberpaw purred and sprinted across the clearing with excitement spreading off him.

The three apprentices walked over to the warriors den, Lionfang, Meadowslate and Silentstone were talking next to the den.

They stopped talking as the apprentices neared "Silentstone, we have the day off so we wanted to help the clan out with gathering prey." Coyotepaw spoke up "your injuries need time healing, but as long as they don't open you are allowed out camp but," Silentstone looked sternly at the three "if it begins to hurt come back, immediately."

"yes, Silentstone." the three apprentices meowed in unison. The three apprentices trotted back to the entrance. Timberpaw was already there waiting for them.

"come on!" Timberpaw heard them coming and ran out the thorn tunnel with excitement. Coyotepaw chuckled, Timberpaw's excitement made her happy, she hadn't seen her brother until yesterday.

They haven't spent that much time together since their apprentice ceremony.

The three followed behind, Timberpaw slowed down a bit with the others so that Sagepaw couldn't get lost behind. It wasn't really fun but they'd rather be slow then let their brother make his injuries worse by having to speed up, risking his wounds to open again.

"let's go our own ways, I think Monarchpaw should stay with Sagepaw incase anything happens." Timberpaw skidded to a halt "we will meet at the sandy hollow then?" Timberpaw asked "okay, let's go." Coyotepaw agreed and ran towards the sandy hollow, there would atleast one mice to catch there.

She went down the slope and used her sense of smell and hearing.
Her ear flicked, she instinctively went into a crouch, she was right, there was a mouse here to catch.

She scanned around until she spotted a mouse in the bushes, searching for food. She smirked and stalked forward.

The mouse didn't notice her and it's back was turned to her, the apprentice pounced and ended its poor little life in a matter of heartbeats.

She dug a small gap in the sandy floor beneath her paws and dropped the mouse in it, she covered it back up with dirt and sand and hurried off into the forest of trees trying to find more prey.

———

"careful Sagepaw! Go easy on your injuries." Monarchpaw mewed, skidding to a halt in front of his brother, Sagepaw hissed, he skidded to a stop before he crashed into his brother.

"watch it!" he grumbled "and I'm fine!" Sagepaw hissed, he didn't want to be treated like he's some kit with a injured paw.

"do I have to get Timberpaw?" Monarchpaw huffed at his brother's stubbornness "he will drag you back to camp." Monarchpaw gave a warning look.

"fine! I'll be more careful, now can we please get back to hunting? We left at dawn and it's almost sunhigh now!" Sagepaw gave in "and we've only caught a thrush and a scrawny mouse." Sagepaw scanned the surroundings.

He was still on edge at the shadowclan attack from yesterday. He should've known to report that he thought he saw a red pelt, now they're injured.

"don't forget, it's almost leaf-bare, we won't catch that much."

Monarchpaw licked him lovingly on his cheek in a comforting way, Sagepaw purred at the touch and sped away in a slower pace with Monarchpaw on his tail.

Sagepaw skidded to a halt, he scented a mouse! He glanced at the bushes where the stench came from. He noticed the mouse eating a seed.

He went into a crouch and stalked forward, pawstep by pawstep he stalked forward, he lunged at it and snatched it by its neck, with a crushing noise, it went limp.

He scratched dirt over his catch and saw Monarchpaw padding back to him with a small thrush.

"good catch." Sagepaw praised, Monarchpaw dropped his own catch next to Sagepaw's and dropped it in, covering it with dirt.

"let's catch a bit more until it's nearing dusk, then we'll meet the others and gather the fresh-kill we caught." Sagepaw mewed before running off with Monarchpaw.

———

Timberpaw launched himself at a rabbit, it didn't notice him since it was with its back towards him, he was quiet and the wins was blowing towards him.

Timberpaw snatched it between his jaws and snapped its spine.

He might be a medicine apprentice, but with his free time he would train himself in hunting. If anything happens to him or his clan and they needed help hunting, he could do it.

And it was great exercise for him. Timberpaw dropped the rabbit and he covered it in dirt.

He scented a trace of slightly stale mouse, probably pretty far away but went anyways. He ran and ran until he noticed the scent become fresher, he dropped into a crouch and stalked forward, spotting the mouse.

He lunged at it and caught it under his paw, with the preasure he broke its spine and hid it.

His paws started aching, it was nearing dusk and he felt like resting his paws, knowing it'd be better if he rested in the sandy hollow, he ran back to it.

He passed down the slope with a yawn and laid himself on the cold floor.

He layed there exhausted, he heard pawsteps approaching. He lifted up his head that laid a heartbeat ago on his paws, that were stretched out before him.

It was Sagepaw and Monarchpaw, Sagepaw was bleeding, Timberpaw sprang up and sniffed at his brothers open wound.

"what happened? Why did it open?" Timberpaw flicked his tail worriedly, he wanted answers "this furball chased after a rabbit and his leg got caught on a few bramble tendrils, they opened up his wounds and he thinks that it doesn't matter, he thinks the rabbit matters more." Monarchpaw flicked his tail over Sagepaws mouth as he opened it.

"he caught it yes, but it was foolish to go back after it with a open wound, and now it's worse!" Monarchpaw huffed.

"Monarchpaw, I know how to treat the wound, could you find me some dock leaves? I'm pretty sure you know what it looks like." Timberpaw looked back at Sagepaws wound.

Sagepaw started licking it, Monarchpaw nodded and ran back up the slope. Coyotepaw came padding in not long after.

"what happened to him?" Coyotepaw hurried towards them looking at his wound, Timberpaw explained.

It was dusk now, Monarchpaw came trotting in with dark leaves between his teeth. He dropped them next to Timberpaw.

"good, thank you, Monarchpaw, Coyotepaw go with him to start gathering our fresh-kill." Timberpaw ordered and started chewing the herb.

It tasted disgusting, once it was chewed into a pulp he spat it onto his paw and rubbed it on the wound. Sagepaw hissed at the stinging.

Timberpaw finished quickly as Coyotepaw and Monarchpaw came trotting with the last fresh-kill that was waiting to be brought back.

They had quickly gathered everything in two runs. Once they all carried everything between their jaws, they went back to the camp.

They walked through the tunnel and into the camp towards the fresh-kill pile.

Many cats were amazed at their catch, they had alot, for apprentices like them who were also injured and with not much training and experience, they had gathered alot.

Not to mention it was cold, and most of the prey was hiding as leaf-bare was near.