Bubblebreeze's Story

Chapter five

Another moon has passed, it was leaf-fall and Acornpaw and Honeypaw were made apprentices, their mentors were Pineclaw for Acornpaw, and Mothtail for Honeypaw.

Bubblebreeze and Mothtail was out training their apprentices in battle together, in the training clearing.

Rainpaw had learned how to catch rabbits, birds and squirrels.

He had also learned a lot of battle moves such as Back Kick and Teeth Grip.
Today Bubblebreeze wanted to show him some simple battle tricks.

"This one is called Tail Trip," Bubblebreeze said to Rainpaw, standing a few fox lengths away. "It can be a bit difficult, but if you trip your opponent with your tail at the right moment, you have better control to give them some severe wounds they'll hardly forget."

Rainpaw narrowed his eyes.

Bubblebreeze ran towards him, he stuck out his tail too early and she skidded to halt before tripping.

"No no no, Rainpaw," Bubblebreeze mewed. "You did it too early. You should stick out your tail when the opponent can't see it, or else they'll skid to a halt like me."

Rainpaw nodded, determination glowing in his eyes.

Bubblebreeze leaped again, claws sheathed, suddenly she lost her balance and landed hardly on the grass and got dirt stuck between her claws.

"Very good, Rainpaw." Bubblebreeze breathed.

Rainpaw's eyes shone with happiness.

Bubblebreeze glanced at Mothtail and Honeypaw. Honeypaw had been an apprentice for less than a moon, yesterday was her first gathering.

Mothtail was trying teach Honeypaw some battle moves, but Honeypaw was easily distracted by a flying leaf.

Mothtail looked strictly at her and she jumped of surprise when she looked back at him.

Bubblebreeze and Rainpaw looked at eachother and purred. Rainpaw was almost as big as Bubblebreeze and almost a warrior.

"Back to training," Bubblebreeze mewed firmly. "I want you to learn the battle trick Play Dead."

Rainpaw nodded and trotted over to stand a few fox lengths away from Bubblebreeze again.

"You can probably already hear in the name what its about." Bubblebreeze said. "It is very effective in tight situations, such as when you're pinned. To do the trick, you have to stop struggling and go limp. When the opponent relaxes and releases their grip, thinking you are dead or defeated push yourself up explosively. Your opponent will be unaware of this and you will take that chance to claw them."

When Rainpaw looked ready, Bubblebreeze leaped at him again, tilted him over so that he was on his back, she pressed her body tight against his so that he couldn't move.

Rainpaw struggled at first, trying to wriggle free from her grip, when she acted like she buried her teeth in his neck as if she was trying to kill him. Then he went limp and held his breath.

Bubblebreeze waited some seconds. When she finally relaxed and got off him, he explosively sprang up and onto her back. She shrieked with fake surprise.

Rainpaw heard her and got off her back looking worried. "Dear Starclan!" He meowed. "Did I hurt you?"

Bubblebreeze purred and puffed his ear with her paw. "No, it was a simulation of how your opponent would react," She mewed and added playfully: "In real battle, you shouldn't ask if your opponent is okay."

"I won't, promise." Rainpaw purred, his blue-gray pelt shining in the faint leaf-fall sun.

"Let's try another move," Bubblebreeze breathed.

After a long day of training Bubblebreeze looked forward to sit with her good friends and share freshkill.

They walked back to camp, thankful for the cover of the trees overhead after training in the heat of the sun.

Back in camp she spotted her usual group of friends, but Darkstar was nowhere to be seen.

Bubblebreeze trotted over to Darkstar's den and looked inside. Darkstar wasn't in her den.

She walked over to her friends and asked: "Where's Darkstar?"

"While me and Owlfeather was on patrol with her," Speedypaw answered. "She suddenly falled over her own tail and hit her head on a rock."

Bubblebreeze could hardly hold back a purr. "I don't even know what to say to that," She murmured, trying to sound a worried as possible.

"She is in the medicine den," Cloudnose told her. "Spikepaw is watching her while I eat."

"Thanks," Bubblebreeze mewed.

She trotted over to the medicine den and stuck er head in. "Do you allow visitors?"

"Bubblebreeze?" Darkstar's voice rasped. "Of course, come in.. er.. If Spikepaw allows it."

"Sure" Spikepaw's light voice answered.

She pressed herself through the tight brambles.

"Speedypaw told me what happened," Bubblebreeze meowed, actual worry in her voice this time. there was stained blood on her pelt running from a cobweb-covered wound on the side of her head.

"Ah," darkstar said and swung her tail as if she didn't care that she had blood running from an opening in her head. "It's fine. I lost a life though." She added more silently.

Bubblebreeze widened her eyes.

"Ha," Darkstar purred. "You look like the moon when you do that."

Bubblebreeze rolled her eyes and purred.

It can be that she lost a life, she thought, But she certainly didn't lose her humor.

"I'll fetch some freshkill for you." Bubblebreeze suggested.

Darkstar simply nodded, and Bubblebreeze trotted out of the medicine clearing.

She took a plump rabbit to share and trotted back to the medicine clearing.

She put it down and they began eating.