Chapter 3

"Nettleclaw! Shadewing!" Acornpaw yowled out from beside her littermates, muscles rippled beneath her pelt as she moved to congratulate her former denmates "It'll be you next." Shadewing said bumping into Acornpaw playfully. "I'll train extra hard to be a better warrior than you." Mousepaw purred mischievously. Nettleclaw gently cuffed the small tom around the ear, but the blow still sent him staggering around, Acornpaw knew that the trip was for extra effect but she still felt sorry for her younger brother. "Come on. Let's go find you nests in the warriors den." Vinetooth said limping forward slightly "Is your leg stiff again?" Acornpaw asked with mock sympathy, she was still proud that she had won that fight in the Dark Forest two moons ago and it had left lasting effects on Vinetooth. Vinetooth flattened his ears and growled menacingly "You better watch it; we'll settle this tonight." he hissed quietly enough so that Acornpaw was the only one that could hear. "Ready Acornpaw?" Rabbitface asked padding over to her apprentice "Of course Rabbitface." Acornpaw said turning to face her mentor with eager eyes. "Good, Mousepaw will be joining us." Rabbitface said as Morningwhisker padded over and Mousepaw went to his mentor's side. "We'll be practicing partner hunting as it's a component in your final assessment." Rabbitface said as they left the camp. "Alright!" Acornpaw said as Mousepaw and her bounded after their mentors. The smell of mouse hit her nose and she signalled to Mousepaw. "Going after the mouse?" Morningwhisker asked, his nose twitching in the fresh morning air. Acornpaw glanced at her brother and nodded. "Mousepaw, chase the mouse towards Acornpaw." Rabbitface said. Acornpaw hid downwind of the mouse and waited for Mousepaw, the white came bursting from the bushes and the mouse let out a squeak of surprise and ran straight into Acornpaw's paws. She killed it with a blow to the spine and picked it up. "Excellent job you two." Morningwhisker nodded padding up to the apprentices. "Alright Mousepaw, your turn to hunt something." Rabbitface said as Acornpaw scraped some dirt over the mouse. Mousepaw nodded and his nose twitched as he scented the air "I smell a vole over there." Mousepaw said indicating to a nearby bush. Acornpaw scented the air and nodded as the scent of vole hit her tongue. Acornpaw took a place upwind of the vole and waited until she saw Mousepaw's white pelt. She charged forward and the vole ran towards Mousepaw's outstretched paw and he bit its spine. "Perfect job you two!" Rabbitface said as she leapt off the overhanging boulder. "Catch something by yourself now and then we can head back." Morningwhisker said as he leapt off the boulder and joined Rabbitface and the apprentices. Acornpaw scented the air and looked back at Rabbitface. "You can go after the thrush." Rabbitface said tipping her head to one side and scenting the air. Acornpaw got to her paws and followed the scent trail. She spotted the thrush perched on a branch and she crept downwind of it. She pounced on it and cut off its cry and then brought it back to Rabbitface and Morningwhisker, she collected her mouse and waited for Mousepaw to return. She spotted her brother's white pelt charging through the bushes, a brown animal swinging from his closed jaws. He collected his vole and then the group set back off to camp. Acornpaw brought her thrush to Spottedtail and then dropped her mouse on the prey pile. "I can help you." Acornpaw said to Owlpaw, who was hauling dirty moss out of the nursery "Gladly." Owlpaw panted and began dragging the moss again. Acornpaw grabbed another bundle of dirty moss and began dragging it towards the camp entrance. Together the sisters slid out of the camp with a nod to Brackenfur, who was guarding the entrance "That's going to be Nettleclaw and Shadewing tonight." Owlpaw commented as they began to drag pawfuls of moss off an old oak tree. They made the moss into neat bundles and they took it back to camp, they began to make new nests for the queens. I'll grab some feathers Acornpaw said and dashed out into the clearing, she gathered the scattered feathers from the clearing and brought them to the nursery, where the pair began to weave the feathers into the nests. "Whew." Owlpaw sighed as she finished weaving the last feather into Cinnamonpelt's nest. They slid out of the nursery and both grabbed a piece of prey from the pile and settled down to eat with her littermates. "At least we know what our assessment is about." Mousepaw said as he gnawed thoughtfully on a fish bone. What is it about?" Tulippaw said coming over, his pelt smelling strongly of herbs. "There's a partner hunting component, singular hunting component and a fighting component." Acornpaw yawned as she sat up and began to groom her dark brown tabby pelt. After she had finished, she went into her den and curled up in her nest. The Dark Forest greeted her as soon as she dozed off. "Are you ready for today?" Thistlewish said his dark pelt barely visible in the gloom. "Wait Thistlewish!" Starlinglight said his ginger pelt appearing in the mist along with Vinetooth's silver pelt. "My apprentice has wished to fight Acornpaw in a rematch." Starlinglight explained his eyes flicking from Thistlewish, to Vinetooth and then Acornpaw. "Very well Vinetooth, you may fight Acornpaw." Thistlewish said. Acornpaw glared at Vinetooth, her eyes cold, she reared up and grazed Vinetooth's ears with her claws the tom ducked hissing and she sprang out of the way. Vinetooth landed in the empty spot she was just in and she raked his side with thorn sharp claws. A blow stung her pelt as Vinetooth scratched her she flattened her ears and leapt onto Vinetooth's back digging her claws in as he lumbered around. She scraped at Vinetooth's back and leapt off, she grazed his eye and just missed his throat, scratching his foreleg instead.