Bright Forest

Chapter 16

Rustpaw pounced on a lizard, but it was too fast: it scrambled away, and it left the tom empty-pawed.

-You need to be more quick.- hissed Viperbite. -Or else more food for the foxes, rather than us.

The ginger apprentice passed his assessment some days before, but he still needed to learn how to hunt certain critters. However, he still practiced fighting a lot and learned new skills.

He crouched down again and sniffed the air: he could still smell the lizard, so he slowly stalked it. He finally saw it, bathing in the sunlight.

But when he pounced, the lizard scrambled away and he fell right in the water.

Viperbite gave him a disapproving look:-Pathetic. You need to know where you're walking!

Rustpaw shook his pelt:-I know. I'm sorry.

-Hm. Now, I don't want to come back to camp with a few toads, so hunt something more.

Rustpaw nodded and searched the clearing: he caught a few rats afterwards.

-Good job, I guess... Let's go back to camp.

They took the pieces of fresh-kill and brought them back to DoveClan camp: the patrols had already returned. Rustpaw took a crow and brought it near the apprentices' den. Patchpaw trotted outside:-Oh, hello. Why are you wet?

-Fell in the pond...

-Oh... yeah it happened to me, too.

Patchpaw was Viperbite's former apprentice. He probably had more experience with his mentor than Rustpaw.

The tomcat sat beside him:-Did Viperbite discourage you afterwards?

-Kinda?

He laughed:-Yeah, he's always like that. Weirdest thing is that he usually despises apprentices... and somehow he volunteered to be your mentor? Something about that seems fishy to me.

Rustpaw shrugged:-I mean... yeah, I guess it is.

-Speaking of fish and mentors, I'm spending more time with Firedusk and Ivystorm and they somehow know how to fish... can you believe it? They caught a trout in the nearby gorge!

He chatted with Patchpaw for a while until the latter needed to go on patrol.

Surprisingly, he didn't see Viperbite anywhere. Rustpaw, bored, reached Ivystorm in the now deserted clearing: she was guarding the camp in the shade of the Tall Pine. -Greetings, Rustpaw.

-Hi, have you seen Viperbite anywhere?- he asked.

The spotted gray she-cat yawned:-No, I thought he was out hunting... why?

-He didn't tell me anything when he left...

-Oh, that's odd.- She mewed. -Well if you have nothing to do, check if Oscar, Blackberry, Halfback or Sliverstone need anything. If not, then I can take you hunting.

-Okay!

First, he went to the elder's den: nobody was there. Rustpaw started to panic for a bit but then he saw the old tom chatting with his mate, Halfback, outside the nursery. He reached them:-Hey, uh... do you need anything? Nest cleaning, thicks...

The couple looked at each other:-Well, nothing for now.

Halfback purred:-Actually, would you mind asking Sliverstone if he has something to cure headaches?

-Sure! But... where's Blackberry?

Oscar stretched his arms:-No idea. Ask Sliverstone. Last time I saw her talking to him.