Flame

Chapter Two

Dovekit sleepily blinked open her eyes and squirmed  toward the scent of milk. Robinsong gently picked up her kit and brought her over. Dovekit squealed indignantly as she felt herself being picked up. She stumbled over in the mossy nest, and fed untill she could drink no more. Robinsong purred and licked the top of Dovekit’s head. She snuggled up in the curve of her mother’s belly, and fell asleep. Shadowfire padded in quietly and looked at Robinsong and Dovekit lovingly. Robinsong purred softly and nuzzled her mate. Shadowfire picked up Dovekit. She squirmed and waved her golden paws absently.  Shadowfire set her down again by Robinsong. Dovekit snuggled closer to her mother’s side, lulled to sleep by her hearts constant beating.

“Dovepaw, you need to keep your tail down when you hunt, like this,” Emberfoot pounced on the waveing, grey and gold tail and pinned it down in a swift, graceful motion. “Emberfoot, I can not pounce when you are on my tail.” wailed Dovepaw as she plopped down on the dirt floor of Trianing Place. A Meadow Lark sang in his taunting way over the fallen apprentice. As an awed Dovepaw watched, Emberfoot stalked on practiced feet toward the noise. Tail purposely skiming the floor he stopped and smelt the air carfuly. Finaly, he gathered himself together and lept limberly on the lowest limb of pine, killing the bird with an uncanny swipe of his paw. “How do you do that?! I’ve been training for days on end and I can’t even stalk right!” Dovepaw exclaimed “Easy. But it took quite a few moons of training to do it. When I was your age, I found that if I concentrate on the things I can do well, than all my faults don’t overwelm me, but rise with a will the next day. You should try it.” Emberfoot sharpened his claws on the tree and lept down. “Lets try it again, this time your tail needs to be down.” as Dovepaw crouched she lowered her tail and concentrated on a stray leaf like Emberfoot had shown her. She glided on the soil with a will, but had difficulty still. “Why don’t we call it a day eh? Or do you think we should do a bit more?” Emberfoot grinned at his apprintice who was streaked with sweat. As Dovepaw smiled back at his sarcasim they bounded through the varying undergrowth.