An Appearance Doesn't Define Me

Chapter 11: Gathering - Part 2

*Hey! Remember Silverpaw? From... Three updates ago... well she's back!*

Cold eyes started back at me as my mentor start to walk over, "The point of the exercise is to land on your paws." She tutted. I rolled back on to my feet, head hanging in shame. "You'll be having a hunting assessment soon – so I suggest that you use your free time to practice your pounce." Splashclaw padded away, leaving me alone in the sandy pit.

"But..." I whispered, I tripped! I sighed and started to follow the tabby back to camp.

I pushed through the reeds and started to make my way through to the Apprentices' den. "Hey, Silverpaw, come over 'ere!" I was stopped by Ivypaw calling for me from across camp. It felt like everyone just turned to watch me cross the clearing to the medicine cat apprentice, though she seemed to take no notice of the attention. Probably used to it – being Clan born and all.

I reached where she was sat, a large fish laying by her paws, "Yeah?" I asked.

"Now," Ivypaw started, uh oh, "I know you didn't like the idea of trying minnow but then you most definitely liked it so..." she looked at the fish, "could you share this trout with me? It too large of a fish for one cat." She asked.

"I would love that, thanks." I sat down beside her, and she began to divide the 'trout' up. I eyed the spotted meat and carefully took a bit, it was much fleshier than the minnow – it was nicer, I could get used to this.

There was a rustle from the camp entrance and a bouncing Cinnamonpaw bounded out, a vole hanging from her mouth. She ran straight to us. "Look what I caught!" she said dropping the creature, sitting down in front of us, "Thymeclaw said I could eat it now!" and started munching.

Ivypaw laughed, "I assume you're getting on with training then?"

Her sister shook her head, "Nope! I just got lucky, I accidentally send a rock flying during battle training by the river, and the vole got hit square in the head!" she snorted before turning to me, "How's your training going?" she directed the conversation to me I swallowed – ashamed of earlier.

Ivypaw looked at, "Now – don't lie, when Nutpaw was apprenticed, he told us that he took on a WindClan warrior on his first border patrol, but Apricotpaw then told us that he saw a rabbit race past and hid behind Carpfin!" Nutpaw got scared of a rabbit!

I thought about, "Not that well, I landed on my back earlier..." I looked at my paws, and was bumped by Ivypaw,

"That's alright, as long as you're not hurt! Carpfin jumped onto a rock this morning and opened up his pad!" Ivypaw stated.

"Nutpaw's livid at that." A new voice joined the conversation, I looked up to see Apricotpaw standing next to us, "Dropstar's given him Rosecloud as a temporary mentor. I hope she'll be as strict as she was with Sliverwhisker!"

Cinnamonpaw laughed, "It'll be so funny!" Rosecloud strict? From what I had gathered over the half-moon, Cinnamonpaw and Ivypaw's mother was much like Echotail, nice and caring...

"She's caring alright – she just cares so much that she becomes strict when something important needs doing." Ivypaw said, my jaw dopped. Mind -reader! "You were thinking out loud." She stated.

"oh." The other's laughed, and I joined in.

A brown tom-cat approached us, "Eelstripe!" Ivypaw greeted him.

He returned his daughter's greeting and turned to us, "I would suggest that you lot rest up for the rest of the day, Dropstar wants all the apprentices at the Gathering tonight. Cinnamonpaw squealed with excitement and started to bounce up and down again.