Poisoned Inside: Burning Blood

Chapter 10

Fernpaw walked into camp and almost crushed Spottedpaw, when she realized that he had tripped her! As she landed with a small thud, Spottedpaw sneered, "Aha! Got you! You didn't even see me coming!" Fernpaw stared at him.

He looks like he had a good time. What'd he do, battle training?

"I was doing battle training!! Tigercloud is the best mentor ever!" Fernpaw rolled her eyes amusingly, and shot back with a bright meow. "Yeah, and Blossomdawn showed me how to hunt! She's the best teacher ever!" Spottedpaw suddenly jumped at her, and they rolled around playfully over the soft grass until Tigercloud came over and said sharply, "Stop, young apprentices. You need to learn a bit more tactics before play fighting. Come on, Spottedpaw, let's go hunting." He obviously thought that they would be apprentices a lot longer than normal ones since they had collar kitty roots. Fernpaw was determined to train harder and learn faster, just to prove him wrong. She spotted Blossomdawn grooming herself and talking to Owlshine once again. "Blossomdawn! Is there anything I can help with?" Her mentor turned to her and meowed, "Yeah, why don't you clean out the elder's den and bring them fresh moss. Maybe some fresh-kill if you have time. There's moss in the hollow right next to camp."

She ran out excitedly, and found the hollow quickly. She made sure that the moss was picked off cleanly from the tree roots, and ran back to camp with it. As Fernpaw walked to the elder's den, she heard an old she-cat complaining. "Urghhh, I want fresh moss already. This is all dry and ripped up." Her note changed as Fernpaw walked in. "Finally, a cat who cares!" she exclaimed. She couldn't talk with her mouth full of moss, so she just pulled out the old moss and, carefully, put in the fresh moss. The she-cat seemed much happier now. "Thank you! I'm Mousedawn, just so you know." Fernpaw mewed, "You're welcome! Do you want any fresh-kill? Your pick." Mousedawn seemed delighted, and exclaimed, "A thrush would be wonderful!! I can't believe WillowClan actually got a good apprentice!" She ran out to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed the freshest thrush she could, but none were there.

I guess I just have to catch one!

She ran out to the forest, and smelled a bird. She tracked it to a small clearing, where a bird hopped around, tapping the ground occasionally. She got into her hunting crouch.

Get my pawsteps light... keep my tail down... stay low to the ground...

She leaped. Fernpaw brought down the bird in a single leap. She dispatched it neatly with a swift bite. She brought it to Mousedawn, who squealed in delight. "You caught this?!" she exclaimed, as Fernpaw told her what happened. Fernpaw, renewed by the elder's praise, went back to the forest to catch some more food to help her new clan. As she dragged her haul back, she wondered, once again, why Echoclaw was following her.