Warriors: Outsiders (DISCONTINUED)

Part 4

"Okay, Dewpaw. Attack me," Fernclaw mewed. I tucked my hind paws neatly under me, my tail straight and lunged at my mentor, claws sheathed. I gently batted her side as I veered past. Fernclaw snorted, then landed some swift blows at my flank. I landed awkwardly, flat on my back, my paws flailing in mid-air.

"Always be prepared, Dewpaw, and land harder blows. Your opponent won't wait for you to stand up. Your leap was good, though," Fernclaw meowed encouragingly. Shrewpaw, meanwhile , was training with his mentor, Acornfur at the corner of the training hollow. He reared up on his hindlegs and pushed himself up, then landed impressively on Acornfur's back, digging his unsheathed claws a little into his shoulders. Acornfur growled with effort and managed to shake him off. Shrewpaw landed on four paws, hissing and lashing his tail triumphantly.

"Dewpaw! Were you even listening? What did I say?" Fernclaw frowned at me. Oops. I was too busy marveling at Shrewpaw's progress to even pay attention to my mentor. "Sorry. I got distracted. You were saying, um, land harder blows?" Fernclaw sighed. "I said look at me demonstrate. You stand here, and I attack you."

Feeling ashamed and embarrassed of myself, I stood where Fernclaw had been just now. My mentor crouched on the floor, her crouch exactly the same as mine. She lunged at me, and landed squarely on my back, squashing me and forcing me to the ground. I panicked. I completely forgot I was having a training session. I immediately went limp. Fernclaw leaned close to me and hissed into my ear, "Don't just stay there! The whole camp can smell your fear scent!" I stayed still, completely ignoring her. She hissed with annoyance and gave me a sharp nip to the ear. I winced.

Suddenly I heard paw steps coming. I inhaled Lionpaw's scent. I grunted. If he saw me like this, he'd probably laugh. I scrabbled on the floor and kicked up with my hindlegs, trying to get Fernclaw off me. She growled with effort, but clung to my back like a gigantic flea. Then I came up with an idea. I went limp once more. Fernclaw loosened her grip on me. Then I reared up on my hindlegs, throwing Fernclaw off balance. She landed a few fox lengths away from me, her neck fur bristling with surprise. I yowled with triumph, landing neatly on all four paws.

Lionpaw poked his head into the training hollow. "Wow, Dewpaw! You did great!" he exclaimed.

Fernclaw came up to me. "Next time, Dewpaw, you ought to remember, DON'T PANIC. But that move was terrific. I don't remember teaching you that. Can you show me again?" I felt hot, my pelt burning with embarrassment. "Actually, I came up with that all by myself. First you go limp, and when your opponent loosens your grip on you, jump up and land on his back."

Lionpaw smiled. "I guess that battle move might come in handy. Might as well demonstrate that move to Shrewpaw." Fernclaw moved between us. She told me she and Acornfur would go hunting, and Lionpaw and I could help Willowfrost in the medicine den. I wrinkled my nose. The medicine den? I thought only medicine cats went there, and I heard it stinks of herbs. But maybe whoever said that was wrong. I still didn't like the idea of messing around with herbs, though. It would be boring, but helping a medicine cat wasn't all that hard.

I was wrong. By the time Lionpaw and I had reached the medicine den, Willowfrost had ordered us to fetch some marigold for her right away. I had faltered for a while, trying to remember what marigold looked like. I count myself lucky, because Hailkit and Mintkit were squealing with delight and chasing each other around, so Willowfrost was too distracted to realise I hadn't brought her marigold yet. I fumbled around in her herb store for a while, until I gave up. "I can't find any marigold," I told her. She rolled her eyes. "If you can't tell what marigold is, then just ask me!" Right! Then I realised that to her, I must've sounded like a feather-brained apprentice. My pelt burned with shame. How embarrassing!

After I got Willowfrost her marigold, Twilightpaw limped into the den. She explained that she had chased a particularly fat squirrel up a tree trunk, but lost her balance and fell, landing on a sharp stone. "Lie down here," Willowfrost mewed. When Twilightpaw sat down, she inspected her paw. It was bleeding a little. She got some cobweb Lionpaw had brought her, and swathed her paw with it. Then she chewed some marigold into a pulp. She spat it on my sister's paw and gently rubbed it into the wound. Twilightpaw sighed. "That feels so much better."

"Come back tomorrow to let me check on it," Willowfrost called as she left the den. She turned to us. "Your mentors will be back from hunting by now. You should go."

I nodded eagerly and turned tail and ran out of the medicine den, feeling plenty relieved to get some fresh air. My belly complained lousily, so I went to the fresh-kill pile and picked a shrew to eat. I scanned the clearing, looking for my sisters and spotted Petalpaw near the nursery, playing with Hailkit and Mintkit. Their mother dozed at the entrance, her eyes half-closed to watch them play. I guessed my shrew could wait for a while.

I went over to Petalpaw. Hailkit and Mintkit squealed with delight, batting at a leaf. "I got it!" Hailkit squealed. "No you don't!" Mintkit pounced on his sister and bundled her over. The squabbling pair rolled around, arguing over who won it first.

Petalpaw smiled and turned to me. "Hi." But before I could answer, Fernclaw, Acornfur and Applebreeze burst into the camp. Their fear-scent hit my nose, and the stench of blood. "Duskstar!" Applebreeze gasped. Duskstar had already come out of his den, and was watching with a curious expression on his face. Fernclaw stepped forwards. Then I realized that there was a bundle of fur hanging from her jaws. "Stripetail..." Oliveeye hurried forward. "My kit!"

Fernclaw laid the brown tom on the ground. Blood trickled from his left eye. Then his pelt rippled and he lifted his head. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but burst into a fit of coughing. Everyone stood in dead silence. What happened?