Warriors AU: Forest of Secrets

Chapter 15

"Well, if it isn't our newest apprentice, Sandpaw!"

Sandstorm looked up from his vole to see Longtail swaggering toward him, her tail waving in the air. "Ready for a training session?" the warrior sneered. "Goldenflower sent me to be your mentor."

Taking his time, Sandstorm swallowed the last of the vole and rose to his paws. He could guess what had happened. Oakstar had told Goldenflower about the punishment, and Goldenflower had wasted no time in organizing the first patrol. Naturally he would choose the cat who disliked Sandstorm the most to supervise his hunting.

Beside him, Silverstream jumped up and took a pace toward Longtail. "Watch what you say," he snarled. "We're not apprentices!"

"That's not the way I heard it," replied Longtail, swiping her tongue appreciatively over her jaws as if she had just swallowed a tasty morsel.

"Then we'd better put you right," Sandstorm hissed, beginning to lash his tail. "Do you want me to tear your other ear?"

Longtail took a step back. She was clearly remembering Sandstorm's arrival in the camp. He had fought Longtail fiercely, showing no fear in spite of the warrior's "kittypet" taunts. Sandstorm knew that even if the other cats let Longtail forget her defeat, her torn ear would remind her forever.

"You'd better watch it," the warrior blustered. "Goldenflower'll have your tails off if you touch me."

"It would be worth it," Sandstorm retorted. "Call me Sandpaw once more, and you'll find out."

Longtail said nothing, only turning her head aside to lick her pale fur. Sandstorm relaxed his threatening stance. "Come on, then," he grunted. "If we're going to hunt, let's get on with it."

He and Silverstream led the way out of the gorse tunnel and up the side of the ravine. Longtail followed, loudly suggesting where to hunt as if she were in charge, but once they were in the forest Sandstorm and Silverstream did their best to ignore her.

The day was cold and gray, and a thin rain had begun to fall. Prey was hard to find. Silverstream caught sight of movement in some bracken fronds and went to investigate, but Sandstorm was almost ready to give up by the time he saw a chaffinch pecking around the roots of a hazel bush. He dropped into a crouch, creeping forward paw by paw while the bird pecked on unaware.

He was preparing to pounce, his haunches rocking from side to side, when Longtail jeered, "Call that a crouch? I've seen better on a three-legged rabbit!" As soon as he spoke the chaffinch fluttered away in a panic, letting out a loud alarm call.

Sandstorm whirled around furiously. "That was your fault." he snarled. "As soon as it heard you—"

"Rubbish," meowed Longtail. "Don't make excuses. You couldn't catch a mouse if it sat between your paws."

Sandstorm flattened his ears and bared his teeth, but as he braced himself for a fight, he suddenly wondered if Longtail was deliberately provoking him. Longtail would have a fine story to tell Goldenflower if Sandstorm attacked her.

"Fine," Sandstorm growled through his teeth. "If you're so good, show us how it's done."

"As if there'll be any prey left, after the racket that bird made when you scared it," Longtail sneered.

"Now who's making excuses?" Sandstorm spat back.

Before Longtail could reply, Silverstream emerged from the bracken with a vole int his jaws. He dropped it beside Sandstorm and began to kick earth over it to bury it until they were ready to return to camp.

Longtail used the interrupting to turn away and stalk toward the tunnel Silverstream had made in the bracken.

Silverstream watched her go. "What's the matter with her? She looks as if she's swallowed mouse bile."