Chapter 3

"Skypaw! Wake up!" Oceanwind's voice floated to the apprentice den where the new white tabby apprentice was sleeping. "Go before she yells again." Sparklepaw muttered and kicked out with her hind leg, waking Skypaw up. "I'm coming!" She meowed back, her voice still hoarse from sleep. Skypaw stumbled from her nest and accidentally stepped on Shallowpaw's tail, which earned her a quick bite to the forepaw. "Sorry." She apologized and hurried out of the den, not wanting to make Oceanwind wait longer. The white-black striped she-cat smiled when her half-asleep apprentice walked out of the den. "Ah, good. You're awake. Now, I want to see how you hunted yesterday, so we'll start by a short hunting lesson, followed by a border patrol, a break then another patrol at dusk. Sound good?" Oceanwind asked and Skypaw nodded, pleased that her mentor actually asked her what she thinks of it. "When can we train fighting?" She asked. "Every apprentice wants to know that." The deputy sighed. "After a few days. Let's say, three?" Skypaw nodded again. "Good. Follow me." Oceanwind said and ran off into the forest through the entrance. It was all Skypaw could do to keep up. They raced past different types of trees, including Skypaw's favorite smelling ones, maple and pine. Finally, they stopped near a small pond that is half covered by hanging vines and moss. The perfect location to find prey. "Okay. Show me your hunters' crouch." Skypaw obeyed and dropped into a crouch, her belly barely brushing the grass. Carefully, she stalked forwards, her ears twitching and nose sniffing. Then she sat up and glanced at her mentor. "Good job!" Oceanwind praised her. "I'm impressed." Skypaw sat up ever taller, proud. "Let's just perfect it a bit." 
"Alright. That's enough." Oceanwind meowed. "Thank StarClan!" Skypaw muttered and stood up, stretching her limbs. "I heard that!" Oceanwind flicked her ear good-naturaly. She smiled up at her mentor. Oceanwind smiled back. "Come on. Let's go back to camp. Your mother is probably worried." "But it's barely sunhigh!" Skypaw protested and the black-white she-cat shrugged. "She's your mother. They're always worried." And with that, Oceanwind raced back into the trees, leaving her apprentice to follow as best she could.
When she finally reached camp, Skypaw was panting and stopped to take a drink in a nearby stream. "Hey, Skypaw!" With a yelp, she stumbled on the loose gravel and would have fallen head-first if it weren't for Shadowsnow who caught her by the scruff and hauled her back. "Thanks." She breathed out and shakily started to groom her pelt."Sorry. I just wanted to talk to you." Shadowsnow grinned and Skypaw's heart almost stopped. With his black-white pelt and emerald green eyes, it wasn't hard to guess why. "Y-yes?" Skypaw let out and turned to gaze at him, only to find his piercing eyes glancing into hers'. "I was just wondering, does Foxpaw like anycat?" And Skypaw's spirit fell. Of course he likes Foxpaw, not you. Mouse-brain. She thought angrily. "No." Skypaw maanged to choke out. He smiled at her. "Thanks." She didn't smile back. Shadowsnow tunred and walked back to camp. With a sigh, the apprentice followed him, her tail and ears drooping. Oceanwind caught sight of her just as she had entered. "Ah, there you are! You know what? Go to sleep. You look tired. I'll wake you up for the dusk patrol, okay?" Her mentor said softly. Skypaw blinked warmly at her and padded off to the apprentice den, where she curled up in her nest and closed her eyes. Only when she did, all she could see were green eyes and a black-white pelt staring back at her and saying: "Does Foxpaw like anycat?" With a silent wail, she burried her nose deeper into the mossy nest and soon, fell asleep.
 

When Oceanwind called out to her to get into the clearing, Skypaw was already up, unable to sleep more, even though she was still tired. With a sigh, she heaved herself onto her paws and walked out of the den, bumping into Sparklepaw on the way out. "Ah, good. We'll be going on a border patrol, so that I could teach you how to place scent markers." Oceanwind meowed to her apprentice. "Is anyone going with us?" She asked, hoping that no one was going. "Yes. Shadowsnow, Ambereye and Foxpaw." Her mentor said and Skypaw barely managed to keep a neutral expression, even though she was seething inside. "Yay!" She said through gritted teeth. Soon, the two cats were joined by three more. "We're are we going, to what border?" Foxpaw asked Ambereye. "ShadeClan." He answered. "Thank StarClan." Skypaw muttered and Foxpaw smirked at her. "What, scared of PineClan?" Her sister teased. "No, I just don't want something to happen like yesterday!" Skypaw snapped at her and turned to Oceanwind. "Well, let's go!" Foxpaw meowed and sped towards the camp entrance. "Not so fast!" Ambereye tripped her and she went flying onto her face. Skypaw smiled and just managed to keep back laughter. Shadowsnow helped her stand up and Skypaw's laughter turned to blind anger and jealousy. "Don’t you know that the deputy comes first?" Ambereye towered before Foxpaw. "You didn't teach me that." She answered back cheekily and just avoided a cuff around the ears with sheathed paws. "Because I expect you to know that!" He hissed and nodded at Oceanwind, who flicked her ears and raced into the forest, with Skypaw close behind. Soon, she felt hot breath on her neck. "Hey." Shadowsnow breathed out. She ignored him and veered slightly to the right, making the black tom stumble and crash into dry bracken. With a hiss, Oceanwind halted, spun around and gave a blow to the new warrior, with claws sheathed. "You mouse-brain! Do you really want to scare off all the prey from here to the MoonFalls?" She growled at him. He sheepishly shook his head and gave his chest a few embarrassed licks. At that moment, came Foxpaw and Ambereye, with Foxpaw tumbling after him and crashing into Shadowsnow, who toppled over again, this time with Foxpaw. Ambereye sighed and turned to look at Skypaw, who was sitting neatly next to Oceanwind, not making a single sound. "Good job." The flaming orange tom praised her and she sat up higher, with Oceanwind nodding with approval. Foxpaw hissed and stood up, twitching and jumping to rid herself of the sticky bracken leaves. "Stop that!" Ambereye scolded her. "Can't you be still like Skypaw?" Another hiss from her sister. She turned and whispered something in Shadowsnow's ear. He glanced at her sisters  and nodded, whispering something back. "You finished?" Oceanwind sounded annoyed and bored and the two cats broke away. "Finally." The black white she-cat muttered and continued to the ShadeClan border, her patrol close behind. Once they got there, Ambereye began to re-scent the border. Shadowsnow and Foxpaw began talking again. Skypaw's tail lashed with anger and so did Oceanwind's. When Foxpaw gave a small laugh, Ambereye turned to his apprentice. "Will you be quiet!" He hissed. Ambereye is the most short-tempered cat in the clan, and Skypaw couldn't wait till he snapped. Foxpaw bowed her head and Shadowsnow said something to her. Ambereye's gaze fell on him. "Shadowsnow, will you please come and replenish the scent markers? I'm sure you would love to." His voice was sweet and sappy and Skypaw almost laughed at how Shadowsnow reacted. Foxpaw began to twitch, she had never managed to sit in one place for long periods of time. "Can you keep still? Look at your sister! She's sitting neatly and not moving!" That is when Foxpaw snapped. With a snarl, she leapt at her sister, claws unsheathed. Skypaw was expecting this and turned out of the way, landing a blow to her sisters head, but with sheathed claws. Foxpaw gave a laugh and leapt again, this time raking her claws own Skypaw's side. Skypaw's vision tinted red and she jumped, landing on Foxpaw's back, clawing at her ear, successfully making a nick in the red tabby's ear. "Enough!" Oceanwind meowed and immediately, Skypaw jumped back, sitting down next to the deputy. It wasn't enough for Foxpaw. She had her hackles raised and a snarl etched into her face. The red tabby wiggled her haunches, unsheathed her claws and leapt again for Skypaw. As quick as a snake, Ambereye jumped up and grabbed his apprentice by the scruff, slamming her onto the ground. Skypaw winced at the thud at sounded as her body hit the dirt. Her sister lay there, gasping for breath. She shakily got to her feet and glared at Ambereye. "You know what? I'll take the apprentices back to camp to let Spiritleaf take care of their wounds. You and Shadowsnow finish the patrol and head back. We'll see you in camp." Oceanwind ordered and spun around, flicking her tail for the apprentices to follow. Skypaw went first and Foxpaw wearily padded after her. She caught up with her sister and flicked one ear once. 

When they were kits, they had a secret language. One ear flick meant sorry, I didn't mean that. Another ear flick in response meant it's okay, I forgive you. Two meant I'm still angry, do not talk to me.

In response, Skypaw flicked her right ear twice and ignored the low growl from Foxpaw. "Be quiet!" Oceanwind hissed and the red tabby bowed her head and dropped her tail. Skypaw let out a snicker and bowed her head too, ears flat across her head. 

They reached camp and Oceanwind led them to the medicine cat den. "Spiritleaf! I need you to look after these two apprentices!" A blue-purple head peeked out from his stash of herbs. "Oh dear me. What happened?" He asked and flicked his tail for Oceanwind to leave. She dipped her head and left, going to find Poisonstar. "Well, Foxpaw attacked me and-" "Not true! You attacked me first!" Foxpaw interrupted her sister with a snarl. Spiritleaf glared at the red tabby. "Let Skypaw say what really happened." He hissed. "She attacked me and I landed a blow to her head, but with sheathed claws. Then she raked her's down my side. I snapped and nicked her ear." Skypaw meowed and winced when Songpaw appeared and dabbed something onto her wound. "Deep." The brown tabby reported to the medicine cat. He nodded and turned his attention to Foxpaw. "How much does it hurt?" He asks. "A lot." She admitted and Spiritleaf frowned and commanded Songpaw to bring him some cobwebs. Skypaw stood there, her pain slowly turning dull. She sighed and laid down, licking her side. Songpaw wound the cobweb onto Foxpaw's ear, and Spiritleaf attended to Skypaw's side. He gave her poppy seeds for the pain and the rest she didn't remember because of them. She fuzzily heard her mothers' voice, her fathers' and then just black.

 

"Skypaw!" A hoarse voice meowed. The white tabby apprentice muttered something and kicked out with her hind leg. "Ouch! Skypaw, you have to wake up!" Foxpaw's voice pleaded. Wait, Foxpaw? Skypaw slowly opened one eye to see her sister standing over her. "Thank StarClan!" The red she-cat breathed out and ran out of the den. "Gingerspeck! She woke up!" Foxpaw called for their mother and soon, the brown-black queen came hurling through the entrance. She started to lick the white tabby while she protested. "Gingerspeck! I'm not a kit anymore! I'm fine!" Skypaw said and stood up, shaking her mother off. "Are you sure? Shouldn't I call Spiritleaf?" Gingerspeck fussed and both sisters exchanged a glance. "No. I'm okay." Skypaw reassured Gingerspeck and stretched her legs, glancing briefly at her wound. All that remained were three faint scars. "Go to your den and sleep." Her mother told her. "Sleep?" Skypaw said, surprised. She glanced at the sky and realized it was really night. "How long did I sleep?" She asked Foxpaw. "About half a day. And I'm really sorry." The red tabby added and flicked an ear. Skypaw smiled and flicked one ear too. With a laugh, Foxpaw bowled Skypaw over and soon, they were wrestling. "Be quiet! Do you want to wake the whole clan up?" Gingerspeck hissed and the sisters stood up, smirking at one another. "Go to the den and sleep. You can play tomorrow." She commanded and her daughters nodded. "Good night." The brown tabby wished them and walked into the warriors den, disappearing inside. Still laughing, they padded to the den and curled up in their nests, falling asleep almost instantly. 

"Come on, Skypaw! Border patrol!" Oceanwinds' voice rang into the apprentice den. Skypaw moaned and turned around, drawing her tail over her nose. "Skypaw!" Oceanwind screeched again. With a sigh, the apprentice called out: "I'm coming! Keep your fur on!" Skypaw sat up, yawning. She stretched her joints, and still blinking sleep out of her eyes, she walked out to see Oceanwind waiting for her with Oaksand and Snowfire. "Sorry." She muttered and twitched her ears. Her mentor smiled at her. "It's alright. I was like that too." Without waiting for them, she sped off into the direction of the ShadeClan border. The two warriors exchanged an amused glance before pelting after her, leaving Skypaw to curse and try to follow them as quickly as she could. When she finally reached them, she was out of breath. "Wow. You guys are fast." Skypaw gasped and laid down near Oceanwind. Snowfire smiled but then pricked her ears. "Border patrol!" She hissed and Skypaw scrambled to get up. "Hello Oceanwind, Snowfire, Oaksand." An unknown cat greeted them. Oceanwind dipped her head. "Daybreak, Grayecho, Lightclaw, Thrushpaw. And who is this?" She cocked her head at a red-brown tabby she-cat that was standing near Daybreak. "My name is Scarletpaw." The she-cat meowed. "And who are you?" The gray-brown tom named Grayecho asked Skypaw. She fluffed her chest up. "Skypaw, Oceanwinds' apprentice." Lightclaw smiled. Soon, the six adult cats began to converse and the apprentice Thrushpaw kept trying to talk to Scarletpaw. But Skypaw and her were staring intently at each other, the beginnings of a small friendship already forming. Skypaw smiled and Scarletpaw smiled too. Skypaw flicked her right ear, Scarletpaw flicked her left ear. They continued to play mirrors until Oceanwind meowed: "We need to get going. Have a nice day." She said politely and dipped her head to the ShadeClan cats. They did the same and Skypaw cast a last glance at Scarletpaw. The ShadeClan apprentice was sticking her tongue out at her. Skypaw did the same and vanished behind her mentor in the dense forest.