The Lost Prophecy: Book 2: Broken Destinies

Chapter 10

Ravenpaw woke up to a pair of blue eyes staring at him. "Wake up, Ravenpaw," Cinderpaw chirruped. "It's time for training."

Groaning, Ravenpaw heaved himself to his paws. "Already?"

"Yep," Cinderpaw replied. Unsurprisingly, she was wide awake. She watched him as he stretched his legs. "Guess what?"

Ravenpaw rubbed his eyes groggily. "What?"

"We get to go hunting together today!" Cinderpaw must have noticed his confusion, and she continued on, her tail flicking. "Bluestar suggested that you come with me and Dustpelt and Runningwind, since you can't leave the camp alone."

Ravenpaw blinked. It was a mixed blessing; on one paw he didn't have to talk to Tigerclaw, but on the other he would have to go on a hunting patrol with his brother. Would Dustpelt try to train him? He certainly hoped not, although it seemed like something Dustpelt might do as a way to mock him. Ravenpaw remembered the patrols he had taken with Dustpelt early on in his apprenticeship; hopefully his littermate wouldn't try to startle him like he had back then.

Cinderpaw bounced out of the den, her tail waving, while Ravenpaw followed her at a distance. Sandpaw and Swiftpaw were still fast asleep. He looked at them enviously before joining the patrol. After several nights of poor sleep he wished he didn't need to be awake at the crack of dawn.

Tigerclaw was nowhere to be found, and Ravenpaw wondered if he was leading one of the daily patrols to search for Darkstripe; that would certainly explain why he hadn't even tried to train Ravenpaw by himself lately. He was probably distracted.

Dustpelt was waiting beside Runningwind by the camp entrance. His tail tip jerked back and forth impatiently as Ravenpaw approached. "Let's get going then." He turned and began the walk out of camp without checking to see if the apprentices were following.

Runningwind bounded ahead, and Ravenpaw reflected that there was a reason for his name; Runningwind was probably the fastest cat in ThunderClan. He was waiting patiently for the group to catch up at the sandy hollow, and as soon as they did looked like he wanted to run off again.

"I was thinking we could show them some advanced prey stalking techniques," Dustpelt mewed as the patrol skirted the training hollow. Runningwind nodded, his paws skimming the ground in a blur.

Sighing, Cinderpaw tilted her head. "Are we ever going to learn tree climbing?"

"Some other day." Dustpelt narrowed his eyes in warning; Ravenpaw guessed she asked that a lot. "Right now we're going to practice hunting." Cinderpaw fell silent and lowered her gaze, but her eyes still glimmered with enthusiasm. "Pretend that leaf is a mouse. Show me how you'd stalk it."

"First I'd crouch like this." Cinderpaw flattened herself against the ground. "Then I'd stalk it." She trotted toward the leaf. Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched. The small apprentice's pawsteps were too loud and sudden.

"No, like this. See," Dustpelt mewed, lowering himself so that his belly fur brushed the ground. "Be light on your paws; a mouse will feel your pawsteps through the ground if you stomp around like that."

Cinderpaw copied his crouch. "Is this right?"

Dustpelt nodded, ears flicking. Tasting the air, Ravenpaw turned his attention to where Dustpelt was looking. The brown tabby warrior pointed toward the mouse with his nose, inviting Cinderpaw to try and make the catch.

Cinderpaw's focus immediately snapped to the prey. She crept forward, placing one paw in front of the other as though she was balancing on a thin log. When she got close enough she leaped, made the killing bite, and raced back to Dustpelt and Ravenpaw, her tail held high. "Did you see that?"