Warriors: Traitors (Book One)

Chapter Three

                 Several sunrises later, Flamefur had finally allowed Moonpaw to resume his training. Moonpaw immediately leaped out of the den and padded up to his mentor as she was calling out patrols. It was fun watching Wolfheart. There were so many cats in the clan that they could send four or five cats out on each patrol and still have three patrols of three or four cats each out hunting at once.

Moonpaw watched as three apprentices and two warriors went out to the ShadowClan border, two warriors and two apprentices were sent to the WindClan border, and most of the remaining cats were sent out hunting. Daisyfur and Cowpelt stepped towards Wolfheart with their pelts brushing as they were assigned to a hunting patrol.

                “Actually Wolfheart,” Daisyfur began with a purr, “Me and Cowpelt were wondering if we could be excused from our warrior duties. We are both expecting kits!”

                “Of course you can,” the deputy meowed affectionately. “Make yourselves at home in the nursery, me and Moonpaw will join the patrol in your place.”

                The she-cats flicked their tails in acknowledgement before trotting away happily.

                “You ready to go?” Wolfheart asked her apprentice. “We’re joining Harepaw and Oakstar.”

                “I am,” Moonpaw said, his eagerness glinting in his eyes.

                The deputy led the way over to where Oakstar and his apprentice, Harepaw, were waiting patiently by the thorn barrier. Normally leaders didn’t have apprentices, but since there were going to be more apprentices than average warriors when Moonpaw and his littermates were apprenticed Oakstar had decided to take Harepaw on as his apprentice himself.

                With only a nod in acknowledgement from Wolfheart, Oakstar led the way out into the forest. As soon as Moonpaw left he shivered a little bit at the fear that washed over him. The last time he had left he had almost not managed to come back, and with his wounds still hurting a bit he felt worried and exposed.

                “What can you smell?” Wolfheart asked Moonpaw, stopping abruptly.

                Immediately the apprentice lifted his nose and sniffed carefully. He caught whiffs of the strong forest scents that enveloped him, but underneath he could detect the scent of a mouse. Upon realizing how close it was, he merely flicked his tail towards the source of a small scratching sound. His mentor nodded and displayed a hunting crouch. Just as he thought she was going to kill the mouse, she nodded to Moonpaw, implying that he should be the one to kill it.

                Moonpaw didn’t hesitate. He slipped into the hunter’s crouch that he and his littermates had tried to perfect so long ago, but as he crept closer he found it difficult to avoid alerting the prey. He made sure his tail was down and he checked to make sure that he was downwind, something the other apprentices had taught him a few moons before. Then he leaped on the mouse and swiftly killed it, feeling proud of his catch.

                “Excellent!” Wolfheart praised, walking towards him. “You waited a bit long and you were a bit too noisy, but that was a good kill.”

                Moonpaw accepted her words as encouraging and he made a point of being more swift and careful the next time he was stalking prey, but even Oakstar seemed proud of him. Wolfheart showed Moonpaw how to cover the fresh-kill until they could retrieve it later. They continued to hunt throughout the day, until a little past sun high.

                “The Gathering is tonight,” Oakstar said after his apprentice killed a squirrel and buried it.

                Moonpaw looked up at him and meowed, “Then you should be leaving soon.