Post by Shadowstalker on Nov 11, 2011 19:27:01 GMT -5
Foxpaw waited impatiently as the sun reached its peak. "Hurry up Slatefoot!" he muttered under his breath. If the warrior didn't hurry up soon, they wouldn't be back until well-after sundown. Exasperated, the young apprentice flopped down in the shade of the elm tree and leaned against its trunk.
"This has got to stop!"
Foxpaw nearly jumped a tail-length is the air. The voice had come from Shadeforest's den. Forcing his fur to lie flat and trying to look nonchalant, he inched closer to the opening, ears pricked.
"Shadeforest, this is just unnecessary! You didn't have to kill him-" a voice that sounded like Goldenleaf's was cut off by a snarl.
"If I had let him live, he would have caused nothing but trouble!" said the voice that was undoubtedly Shadeforest's.
"You don't know that!" Goldenleaf persisted, "And even if he did, killing would not be necessary. Shadeforest, you have got to stop this! If you don't-"
"You'll what?" Shadeforest mewed quietly, "You can't leave, Goldenleaf. You know that I hold it over you."
Silence. Foxpaw stretched forward to hear. "I-" Goldenleaf's voice faltered, "Very well then." Foxpaw suddenly realized that she was coming out of the den. Sensing that he would be in deep trouble being found there, he bolted toward the camp entrance and hid under some low branches.
Goldenleaf left the leader's den and trotted back to her own. Ducking out of his hiding spot, he noticed a dark grey tom, Slatefoot, coming towards him. "Ready for training?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Foxpaw mewed.
Before long they reached the training clearing. It was grassy stretch that had the river winding along one side. Slatefoot took up a stance, opposite of Foxpaw. "Now, as you can see I'm in a fighting position. I'm much bigger than you. Knocking out my paws won't work. What should you do?"
Foxpaw thought he knew. Bunching his legs, he leaped high into the air. Claws sheathed, he attempted to land on his mentor's back. But Slatefoot had moved a tail-length away. Landing on all fours, Foxpaw could do nothing when Slatefoot swiped his legs out from under him. Lying sprawled on the ground, Foxpaw looked up at his mentor. Slatefoot shook his head. "Too slow of a move. I saw what you were going to do the moment you gathered your paws under you. Try again."
This time Foxpaw feinted, lurching toward his mentor's left and bolting to his right. He head-butted the tom and sent his crashing over sideways. Slatefoot huffed as he got up. "I didn't see that one coming. I've never seen that move before. Do it again."
Foxpaw did. This time Slatefoot dodged out of the way as his apprentice tried to headbutt him. The large tom congratulated him. "Nice move. I only could intercept you because I knew exactly what you were doing. Excellent. I'll need to tell the other mentors about this move."
* * *
On the way back to camp, they hunted for a while before arriving. Dropping two squirrels on the fresh-kill pile, they sat down to eat with others. Slatefoot cuffed him lightly on the ear. "Get some rest. Eat any more and you'll burst."
obediently, Foxpaw headed to the apprentice den. Clawing his way tiredly up the Birch trunk, he found his nest and settled down. Tucking his nose under his tail, Foxpaw drifted off to sleep.
"This has got to stop!"
Foxpaw nearly jumped a tail-length is the air. The voice had come from Shadeforest's den. Forcing his fur to lie flat and trying to look nonchalant, he inched closer to the opening, ears pricked.
"Shadeforest, this is just unnecessary! You didn't have to kill him-" a voice that sounded like Goldenleaf's was cut off by a snarl.
"If I had let him live, he would have caused nothing but trouble!" said the voice that was undoubtedly Shadeforest's.
"You don't know that!" Goldenleaf persisted, "And even if he did, killing would not be necessary. Shadeforest, you have got to stop this! If you don't-"
"You'll what?" Shadeforest mewed quietly, "You can't leave, Goldenleaf. You know that I hold it over you."
Silence. Foxpaw stretched forward to hear. "I-" Goldenleaf's voice faltered, "Very well then." Foxpaw suddenly realized that she was coming out of the den. Sensing that he would be in deep trouble being found there, he bolted toward the camp entrance and hid under some low branches.
Goldenleaf left the leader's den and trotted back to her own. Ducking out of his hiding spot, he noticed a dark grey tom, Slatefoot, coming towards him. "Ready for training?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Foxpaw mewed.
* * *
Before long they reached the training clearing. It was grassy stretch that had the river winding along one side. Slatefoot took up a stance, opposite of Foxpaw. "Now, as you can see I'm in a fighting position. I'm much bigger than you. Knocking out my paws won't work. What should you do?"
Foxpaw thought he knew. Bunching his legs, he leaped high into the air. Claws sheathed, he attempted to land on his mentor's back. But Slatefoot had moved a tail-length away. Landing on all fours, Foxpaw could do nothing when Slatefoot swiped his legs out from under him. Lying sprawled on the ground, Foxpaw looked up at his mentor. Slatefoot shook his head. "Too slow of a move. I saw what you were going to do the moment you gathered your paws under you. Try again."
This time Foxpaw feinted, lurching toward his mentor's left and bolting to his right. He head-butted the tom and sent his crashing over sideways. Slatefoot huffed as he got up. "I didn't see that one coming. I've never seen that move before. Do it again."
Foxpaw did. This time Slatefoot dodged out of the way as his apprentice tried to headbutt him. The large tom congratulated him. "Nice move. I only could intercept you because I knew exactly what you were doing. Excellent. I'll need to tell the other mentors about this move."
* * *
On the way back to camp, they hunted for a while before arriving. Dropping two squirrels on the fresh-kill pile, they sat down to eat with others. Slatefoot cuffed him lightly on the ear. "Get some rest. Eat any more and you'll burst."
obediently, Foxpaw headed to the apprentice den. Clawing his way tiredly up the Birch trunk, he found his nest and settled down. Tucking his nose under his tail, Foxpaw drifted off to sleep.
