✧ Devious Fates ✧ | COMPLETE WARRIOR CATS FANFICTION STORY |

// Chapter Twenty Three

The light grey apprentice bounded ahead, her gaze shining with fascination. An array of colors flickered through her vision, emerging into a bright forest placed around. Her mentor's paws thundered behind, faltering to meet his apprentice's pace.

"Stop!" Snakestrike hissed. "Don't you want to slow down so you can see everything thoroughly?" His words convinced Wetpaw to skid to a halt. She observed the setting around her.

The oak trees had transformed to willow trees as the figures had trekked further. Undergrowth was blanketed over the ground, emitting droplets of water when trampled by paws. Wetpaw extended her pupils, trying to study all of the landscape. She was slightly disappointed that all she could see was undergrowth and trees, dotted with a few stones.

"Can you scent any prey?" Snakestrike panted. He fixed his gaze on Wetpaw.

Wetpaw slightly gaped her jaws to carefully scan the whole habitat for any prey. It was a slight struggle for her, because her nostrils seemed to be swarmed with the fragrance of water and lush undergrowth. Suddenly, a new alluring scent that emerged past all of the musty shrubbery caused her mouth to water. Prey!

"Over here!" Wetpaw squealed, pointing her tail to the right. She bolted towards a willow, where a water vole gently scraped the bottom to construct a den, dipping its head to slightly nibble a root. As Wetpaw burst from the shrubbery, it winced in shock and started to scramble away.

Wetpaw swiped her claws toward the water vole. It sprinted away with an alarmed squeak, ducking past stray branches. You're not getting away that easily! Wetpaw lunged forward, claws outstretched. She contorted her head in each direction the water vole zigzagged, shooting her claws toward it once more.

She missed by a claw-length, hissing with irritation. She no longer kept track of where she placed her paws, only where her target was scurrying towards.

"Come back!" Snakestrike's call rang in Wetpaw's ears. "You won't be able to catch it!"

Weariness started kicking in for the light grey apprentice. Her speed decreased, her breathing growing shallow. The water vole was no longer able to be seen, sheltered protectively by the undergrowth.

"Mouse dung!" Wetpaw breathed, frustration threaded in her tone.

"I'll teach you a few hunting techniques after you get more familiar with the territories," Snakestrike mewed. Embarrassment struck Wetpaw. I couldn't catch it! Snakestrike probably thinks I'm a terrible hunter. Determination followed her feelings. I'll prove him wrong!

Something interrupted Wetpaw's thoughts: the sound of other paws. Her ears lifted. A pale grey tom was visible through the undergrowth. Weedpaw?

"Weedpaw?" Wetpaw questioned. The apprentice's green eyes glanced back at her. He snorted in response and scornfully whisked away and followed his mentor. Wetpaw's ears indignantly pinned to the back of her head. Tick-pelt! Slight sorrow drifted through her.

"Maybe he's just busy," Snakestrike mewed. Wetpaw knew that wasn't true. Her mentor seemed to slightly agree, too.

"No," Wetpaw sighed. She flicked around, observing the land around her. She did realize it was quite elegant. The forest was gleaming with lush green, leaves swishing in the breeze. The trees sheltered the two figures from the wind, acting as a shield.

Scents flowed into her nostrils in the crisp breeze. Leaf-fall had been rumored to have landed a bit harshly in the other Clans, but the chilling season barely laid a claw on RiverClan. Prey still seemed to be abundant, sustaining full RiverClan bellies.

"This way," Snakestrike directed, pointing his tail to a small clearing that was visible in the distance. Wetpaw followed the tabby, creating an image in her head of the territory around. Prey scents still made her mouth water, but she tried to resist the temptation. It seems Snakestrike is already annoyed enough with me.