ThunderClan's Loyalty, Book One

Chapter Eighteen

-August 17th-
-Nightpaw is 7 moons old-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nightpaw woke with an immediate yawn, the sleep flowing away from his brain quickly. He barely took the time to look around the den before jumping to his paws, exiting into the camp, and stretching out each leg one by one, excited to start training for today.

   He looked around for his mentor, but before he could spot her, his gaze passed up to the HighLedge where Briarstar lay on the stone, soaking in the first rays of light dripping over the camp.

   Nightpaw gazed at him longingly for a moment, wishing the brown tom would come down to greet him and wish him luck, but his father's eyes were shut tight.

   I've gotta find a way to make him proud. So far, just being the best apprentice he could be, bringing back prey and making sure Briarstar saw him, practicing battle moves with Daisypaw and Tulippaw in the clearing, hadn't been enough.

   Briarstar barely ever did more than nod in simple approval or he didn't notice altogether, and he never came to him to talk with him. Whenever Nightpaw approached him it was always: “Next time,” and “Next time, lad,” and “Later, lad.”

   Nightpaw sighed as he thought back to it. He just wanted to see pride in his father's eyes at the very least.

   He turned his head to stare at the thorn tunnel. And it's better to try now than later. He looked around again to make sure no one saw before escaping out the entrance. The guards said nothing as he left and he raced away into the forest.

   “Alright, I'm going to catch as many squirrels as I can. They’re Briarstar's favorite," he murmured to himself. He was glad that Mallowfang had coached him in tree climbing a few days before.

   Tasting the air, he caught the scent of a squirrel, but it was faint. At least it's something, he thought with a shrug. Following the trail, he caught a faint whiff of Daisypaw and Petalfern's scent from the day before.

   Mousedung, I forgot to wake Daisypaw. She would have helped me, I'm sure of it, he realized with a lash of his tail. Never mind, just focus on the task.

   Soon the scent strengthened and he spotted the furry red creature stuffing acorns in its cheeks. Nightpaw immediately dropped into a hunter's crouch. Perfect.

It was an easy kill, Nightpaw didn't have much problem. He buried his catch in the earth before continuing on. One down, a lot more to go, he thought excitedly. Briarstar's going to love this! He'll be so impressed.

   The next squirrel he found was sitting high in an oak tree and he scrambled up the one beside it, though not very gracefully, and reached the first branch.

   He hadn't been training to hunt in the trees, but he figured it wouldn't be so hard.

   When he reached the branch he wanted, he carefully leaped from it and to a branch on the other tree's trunk.

   The squirrel was just a branch below him and he licked his jaws as he looked down. Woah, this is really high up, he thought suddenly, seeing just how far he had come.

   Maybe this is more SkyClan type hunting. Mallowfang had coached him on how the other Clans hunted near the beginning of his training when she first taught him to hunt.

   He steadied his now trembling paws and crouched, ready to spring down onto his prey. He held his breath and dropped, claws outstretched toward the squirrel.

   “Nightpaw!”

   Mallowfang's voice reached his ears and his head shot up to look over to where the silver and black tabby was bristling on the ground.