The Lost Prophecy: Book 1: Ravenpaw's Secret

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors

At the end of the day after Redtail's death, Spottedleaf declared that Ravenpaw's shoulder had healed enough to resume training, and he was cleared to sleep in the apprentices den again. Graypaw told him that night that he and Ravenpaw were training with their mentors at the sandy hollow the next day. Ravenpaw woke up early the next morning, sneaking out of the apprentices den before Graypaw, Dustpaw, and Sandpaw awoke, and settled himself at the center of the camp.

Mousefur and Runningwind were already in the clearing. Longtail padded out of the warriors den, and with a nod to the two brown warriors, the three of them set off for the dawn patrol through the gorse tunnel. Ravenpaw was lost in thought as more warriors began to trickle out of the warriors' den, meowing quietly to each other as they waited to be assigned a patrol.

He lightly groomed the wound on his shoulder, worriedly turning over the events of the battle in his mind. His thoughts were clearer now than they had been after the initial shock. Redtail had been running away from the rockfall, when Tigerclaw had ambushed him from the bushes, Ravenpaw was certain. Does he know I saw? Ravenpaw thought. Did he realize I witnessed him kill Redtail? But what if that's not what happened, but what else could it be? He was filled with self-doubt again. Perhaps that was Oakheart and I wasn't remembering correctly. But he knew, he had seen Tigerclaw attack and kill a cat, and that cat had certainly not been bracken colored like Oakheart.

By now, the camp was beginning to buzz with the mews of many cats greeting and chatting with each other. With most of the warriors milling about in the clearing, Ravenpaw realized that his mentor would be joining them at any moment. Wanting to avoid Tigerclaw for as long as possible, he made his way to the sandy hollow by himself. Once he arrived, he sat rigid as a rock, and awaited the arrival of Lionheart and Tigerclaw while his fur prickled with anxiety. Not long after he had reached the hollow, Graypaw joined him in waiting, and the gray apprentice was soon cheerfully flicking leaves into the air with his paws and chasing them as they fell.

"Cheer up Ravenpaw," Graypaw called from across the clearing. "I know you don't like training, but you're not usually this miserable!"

"I suppose I'm just worried about hurting my shoulder again," Ravenpaw mewed. Suddenly, a moment after he scented them, Tigerclaw and Lionheart padded out from the surrounding bushes.

"Warriors should suffer their pain silently," the dark brown tabby warrior growled. Ravenpaw felt a jolt of fear as Tigerclaw met his eyes. "You need to learn to hold your tongue." Ravenpaw recoiled and ducked his head.

He barely noticed when Lionheart started speaking, and missed most of what he said. He had immediately jumped into their training, something about stalking rabbits. "Can either of you tell me why?" Lionheart finished. Ravenpaw shifted uncomfortably, continuing to stare at the ground.

"Come on!" Tigerclaw snorted impatiently.

"Because a rabbit will smell you before he sees you," Graypaw answered, "but a mouse will feel your pawsteps through the ground before he even smells you."

"Exactly Graypaw," Lionheart mewed approvingly. "So what must you bear in mind when hunting mice?" There was a longer pause now. Tigerclaw let out an irritated hiss, while Lionheart shifted his weight on his paws. "Ravenpaw you should know this. You've already been training for two moons." Ravenpaw looked up from the ground, meeting Lionheart's gaze. His yellow eyes were both stern and sympathetic. Ravenpaw felt a jab of guilt. While he thought Tigerclaw often had unrealistic expectations, Lionheart was fair, and if he thought Ravenpaw should know how to stalk mice after two moons training, then he should.