The Hunger Games - Warriors Edition

CHAPTER SIX - hunting skills

Grassleap's p.o.v

The stone floor of the den was damp and sticky. Dew lingered on the hanging ferns at the mouth of it. Dawns sunshine filtered in through the leaves.

I yawned, blinking fast to adjust, as a bright ray shone in my eye. I flexed my claws, straightening into a sit position. I stood, staring at the glimmering blades, as my Clanmates slept around me, snoring softly.

"Ahh...today is beautiful," I whispered aloud to myself. "Even though we're stuck here in this wormhole."

Sagnose shifted beside me, her thick white coat almost blinding against the shadows of the den. "Tell me about it," she murmured drowsily. "All we do is sit here and sleep, doing whatever the guards order us to do."

"Yeah...but hey, at least Snow isn't as mean as Robin," I commented, sheathing back my claws and setting my paw down. I glanced at the fern entrance, which was beginning to unfurl as the dainty white tom pulled it open.

"Mhm-hmm..." Sagenose tucked her muzzle into her paws and sighed. I continued to stare out at Snow.

"Get up! Get up!" he suddenly yowled, and all the she-cats were up, scrambling out with their hearts beating, fur bristling, and tails flicking.

I was out there in a moment, side by side with my Clanmates in a line as Snow checked us over. Poppystem was shaking and whimpering beside me on my left. She was always a weakling. Since the start, as we grew up together. Heathersong stood at my right, chin high and eyes bright.

I wonder where her sister is? Is she safe? I remember her talking about Graycloud. I bet Seedfoot is with her, as they were together when they were taken...I'd be so lost if I didn't know where my sister was in the world. But I don't have a sister, and I know that Hawkheart is dry and fed and safe in SunClan camp right now.

"We are going hunting, she-cats, so be ready." At Snow's words I perked my ears and shot upward, forgetting my thoughts.

Yes! I exclaimed inside. I'm starving, and we even get to catch out own prey! 'Cuz who knows what kind of medicine junk they would put in our food if we didn't?

*****

The toms were there too, as we arrived. Flora and Blackberry, their side's guards, stood at the end of the short mud tunnel, scowling.

What's up with her?

"Welcome! To the Hunting Grounds." Who-!? I didn't recognize the strong, booming voice of the tom. Wait a mintute...Merca himself.

That fox-hearted ugly cat!

I pouted and stomped toward my group's line. I stood beside Mintcloud, a pretty she-cat from my Clan. A RainClan she-cat named Nightstream flanked me on the other side.

Who does this fish-face think she is, treating me like this? You're not escorting us, trout-breath! Water-lover! Feather-brain!

"Ahem! Toms, in that direction, towards Forest 1. She-cats, in that directon, towards Forest 2." Har, standing just beside his leader, gestured with his tail for us to move quickly in opposite directions. "Let the hunting begin!" he yowled, and we were off.

*****

I peered through the undergrowth to watch the other she-cats hunt. It was quite fascinating, seeing them fail and try and fail. The only one who I thought really made progress was a RainClan she-cat named Dawnpelt. She caught loads of fish! I mean, I caught so much prey that no cat could compare, but I saw her potential.

And she bounced so gracefully off rocks like they were springy moss!

I watched her for a bit longer, but soon got bored. I turned my attention to a LeafClan she-cat pretty soon. She was too busy chasing a shrew to see me watching her out in the open woods. I thought about it for a moment, then remembered her name was...oh, Rosepaw, yes. That was it.

While I was occupied with remembering Rosepaw's name, I didn't realize a cat was coming straight towards me! "Ahh!" A sparrow flew by me, just above my head.

What!? Is it chasing me, or is some cat chasing it?

Then I saw the cat--a bright golden-and-spotted tabby with huge eyes. Leaping right at me!

With one swift blow of the paw and a giant leap, the bird was down. Gotcha! Ya' little feather-face.

"Oh, heh-thanks," the she-cat, very young and inexperienced it seemed, came trotting up to me, a shy and uncertain look on her face.

"Greetings. There ya' go," and pushed the bird towards her, and she flinched back in response.

She stared at it for a moment longer, terrified of me I guess.

What does she think I am,...a fox? Come on--just grab it!

"Don't worry, I won't bite," I murmured comfortingly, pushing it closer to her even more.

She grabbed it quickly and began to scramble away. Then turned back when she realized I wasn't following. She came padding back up, embarrassed. "Hi..." she meowed softly. "Um...Grassleap, is it?"

"That's right," I purred. "And you are...?" I was already beginning to like this cat! She was so sweet and kind.

"Owlpaw."

*****

We continued to hunt together until time was up. By the end I had made out with two sparrows, a chafinch, three mice, and a vole. Owlpaw carried the hefty weight of a young rabbit and two more mice in her jaws. That idiot that had been chasing the shrew around, whoever she was, now held two squirrels and a blackbird proudly as we all made our way back to the tunnel.

"When do we get to eat?" one of my Clanmates Alderpaw blurted as we reached Robin and Blackberry.

Robin, his scorching gaze burning holes through all our pelts as he turned, glared down at the young tom with great tease in his amber eyes. "And what makes you think that you'll eat at all?"

All the she-cats let out gasps of shock, while the toms shrugged, hanging their heads in disappointment as Flora opened the entrance to the mud tunnel.

"Is he serious?" Owlpaw whispered to me while I cut in front of her to enter first.

"I-I don't know," I admitted quietly. "Just shh...we'll wait and see."

"I hope not," she murmured sadly. "'Cuz I'm soo hungry. I could eat even a badger right now."