Dreampaw yawned and stretched.
"Come on, you lazy furball," Sparkpelt growled, "It's time for training."
Dreampaw scrambled to her paws. "What are we doing today?"
Sparkpelt sat down. "For your pitiful skills, we will learn to hunt today."
Dreampaw nodded as Sparkpelt went on. "Go catch some scrawny prey. You have twenty heartbeats. No teaching from me."
"Twenty!" Dreampaw gasped as she bounded out.
She felt instinct flood over her as she leapt forward and killed a plump squirrel, a humongous rabbit, a plump thrush, and a mouse, both twice her size, before Sparkpelt yowled, "Time up!"
Dreampaw heaved the prey back, proudly smiling as she saw Sparkpelt gape at her prey and shut her mouth quickly, the light fading from her eyes.
"How did I do?" Dreampaw asked.
Sparkpelt shook her head gruffly. "Terrible! Look at that, it's pathetic!"
Dreampaw sighed.
Sparkpelt raised an eyebrow which silenced Dreampaw.
"We'll go practice training next," Sparkpelt explained.
Dreampaw and Sparkpelt padded to the training hollow, where Dreampaw quickly jumped onto Sparkpelt. Sparkpelt shook Dreampaw off and kicked her in the belly. Dreampaw raced to her and swept at her legs. Sparkpelt growled and pinned her down. The annoyance in the glare she shot Dreampaw meant she did well for her first time, but not enough. Sparkpelt mewed, "A pile of badger droppings."
"Go on hunting patrol."
The order rang in Dreampaw's ears as she raced away.
She stalked towards two squirrels and pounced on them, finishing them off with quick nips to the spine.
She prowled towards a vole and pounced on it, cutting it's shriek off as she tasted warm blood in her mouth.
She raced back to the rest of the patrol, and they all padded back to camp.
