Bloodflower

Chapter 3

Rosepaw flopped down just beside the entrance to the apprentice den, feeling like her paws had been worn away. She and Pineclaw had toured almost the whole territory, and by the time they had gotten back the sun was going down. She was exhausted, but she couldn't have been happier.

She bent down and began licking her chest lazily. She would groom herself, she decided, then go pick something from the well-stocked fresh-kill pile in the center of the camp. Pineclaw had given her permission to eat.

Suddenly a shadow fell over Rosepaw, and she glanced up to see Nightpaw looking at her with a friendly gleam in his eyes.

"Hi," he mewed, settling beside her. "How was the tour?"

"Exhausting! But fun nonetheless," Rosepaw replied. "We went to the FireClan and MoonClan borders. MoonClan didn't smell so bad, but FireClan...great StarClan, they reek!"

Nightpaw purred. "You can say that again!" He glanced toward the camp entrance and added, "Shadowpaw and Minnowpaw should be here any time now. They were sent hunting during training today."

"What did you do for training today?" Rosepaw prompted, resuming her grooming.

"Battle training," Nightpaw answered proudly. "Thrushtail was really impressed! And he's a senior warrior, so his praise means a lot."

"That's great!" Rosepaw replied. "Pineclaw may not be a senior warrior, but he's definitely easy to get along with. I like him already."

Nightpaw tilted his head. "Is that so?" he meowed.

Rosepaw blinked at her friend in confusion, but before she could respond another friendly mew reached her ears.

"Hey, Nightpaw. And if it isn't the newest apprentice, Rosepaw!"

A silver tabby she-cat was padding towards them, with a darker gray tom trailing behind. Rosepaw recognized them as the older apprentices, Minnowpaw and Shadowpaw respectively. Shadowpaw carried a fat mouse in his jaws; it was so big that he seemed to be tripping over it as he walked.

"Is that for us?" Nightpaw asked, flicking his tail towards the fresh-kill.

"Sure is," Minnowpaw replied. Puffing her chest out, she added proudly, "I caught it myself, so you're welcome!"

Nightpaw rolled his eyes and muttered good-humoredly to Rosepaw, "Minnowpaw. The most self-possessed furball I've ever met!"

Rosepaw stifled a mrrow of laughter in case the silver she-cat overheard. She wasn't about to make enemies with an older apprentice on her first day!

Finishing her grooming, she sat up as Shadowpaw set the mouse down in the center of the circle of apprentices. He settled beside his sister, and the group began to eat.

After a while, Rosepaw prompted, "So what did you two do for the day?" She didn't like the silence, and her pelt was itching to know what she should expect for her training.

Shadowpaw's eyes lit up. "We did this awesome partner hunting exercise! Minnowpaw was on the ground under an oak tree, and I climbed onto a low branch. Then she chased squirrels up the tree, right into my paws!" He bit viciously into the mouse, as if he was imagining one of the squirrels in his jaws.

"That sounds amazing!" Nightpaw gasped. "How many did you catch?"

"Four? Or maybe three," Minnowpaw replied. "The elders gobbled them up so quickly I'm not even sure anymore!"

The young cats shared a laugh. Rosepaw backed away from the mouse, settling her chin on her paws contentedly. I could get used to this!

Gazing lazily around the camp, she suddenly spotted Dawnpaw trotting towards her, tail up and curled happily. Rosepaw scrambled up, mewing a quick "be right back" to the other apprentices, and raced to meet her sister.