Bright Forest

Chapter 4

-Keep your tail down!- Glistenfall mewed behind him.

Rustpaw lowered his tail and padded swiftly through the ferns, but was scolded by Glistenfall's advice:-You walk silently enough, but you're too fast!

Rustpaw grunted and crouched again: they were practicing hunting in the training hollow, using a leaf for targeting prey.

The dark ginger tom stalked the leaf and struck it, but it flew up when he crashed into the sand filling the ravine.

-You have to stay patient until you find the right moment, and next time, leap higher!- she said. -Like this.

She placed the leaf on the ground, stalked it, and when the wind shook it she leaped towards it and caught it beneath her paws. -Now you try.

Glistenfall placed the leaf where it was, and Rustpaw dropped into a hunting crouch again. "Patience, huh?" he thought, stalking the leaf as his mentor did.

But when the wind brushed in, he waited too much and the leaf fluttered away in the fresh breeze.

-When the wind kicks in, you need to leap. Let's...- she glared at the sky, noticing it was sunhigh. -If you're tired, we can get back to camp. If not, then try again.

As the leaf fell silently into the clearing, Rustpaw stalked it again, keeping in mind what Glistenfall had told him. He kept his tail down and his pawsteps silent and slow, even though his muscles tensed. Finally the breeze rushed in, and Rustpaw leaped forward, trapping the leaf with his paws.

-Good job!- said Glistenfall. -We could try actually hunting now, but because it's sunhigh we should better get back to camp and rest. After that I'll meet you at the hunting grounds!- she explained, trotting out of the clearing. Rustpaw followed her back to camp. He brushed past the green ferns at the camp's entrance and entered the clearing: Rainingbud was sharing tongues with Gemwing and Deerleap was eating beside Kestrelstar and Treefeather. Glistenfall padded to the fresh-kill pile with Rustpaw at her heels. -Suite yourself!- she mewed, taking a squirrel and bringing it to a sunny spot near the warriors' den.

Rustpaw took a mouse and brought it next to the apprentices' den.

He heard Treefeather and Deerleap chatting with Kestrelstar.

-The patrol is late today. I wonder why...- Treefeather mewed.

-Wait, what border were they checking?- Deerleap said.

Kestrelstar ate a piece of shrew she had beneath her paws:-The DawnClan border; yesterday we got reports of some odd smells there, and Marigold and Spottedpaw needed... well, marigold.

Some rushing sounds and heavy pawsteps caught StormClan's leader's eye.

She looked at the fern tunnel, seeing Poolspring with a bleeding ear, Branchpaw with dirty claws and the two medicine cats.

Kestrelstar climbed the Great Tree, followed by Treefeather.

-What happened?- she demanded.

-We got in a fight with some cats...- Poolspring said.

-"Some cats"?- Branchpaw growled. -It was a DawnClan patrol!

-DawnClan cats don't smell like dung from the twoleg place, Branchpaw!- he said. -Even though they were led by a DoveClan warrior...

-Hm... have Marigold and Spottedpaw gathered their herbs?

-Not much since they attacked us by surprise...

-Fair enough.- she said. -Marigold and Spottedpaw, go treat their wounds please. And if they have none, let them rest. When you're done, Poolspring, come to my den and we'll discuss this. Rainingbud, Gemwing and Glistenfall: go check on the DoveClan border to see if there are any scents.