Words From The Stars; The Heart of a Warrior

Training

Oops. Here's the next chapter. Sorry, I had a LOT of homework (and still do :P) including a 15 page history assignment... so after the delay, here's the new chapter!

                "Okay Saltpaw, your training starts today," Sandpaw meowed. "Illumanatedpath gave me the day off today, so today will be the day that you find out how to be a true warrior."

                "Do I have to?" Saltpaw whined.

                "Stop acting like a kit!" Sandpaw hissed. "Act like a warrior! What would you clan say if they saw you like that?!"

                Saltpaw looked Sandpaw in the eyes, his blue green eyes wide with shock, scaredness, and . . . anger? Saltpaw puffed up his chest.

                "Okay, what first?" Saltpaw asked.

                "First, we hunt for the elders," Sandpaw meowed.

                "But-" Saltpaw meowed, but caught himself and didn't complain anymore.

                "Hunting for the elders shows respect. You do respect your elders, right?"

                "No," Saltpaw spat. "Those lazy lumps of fur are worthless! All they do is complain, and we are the ones who have to do everything for them!"

                "Incorrect answer!" Sandpaw meowed. "Elders are not worthless. Who defended you clan before you were born? Who hunted for the clan? The elders deserve their rights to complain, they've protected the clan for longer than you've been alive! It's you who doesn't have the right to complain!"

                "Fine," Saltpaw grumbled. "Elders . . . I guess they do have the right to complain."

                "And anyway, when was hunting not fun?!" Sandpaw asked happily as she ran out of camp, with Saltpaw hard on her heels.

                "Okay, hunting lesson number one," Sandpaw meowed. "Keep your tail down, and your weight evenly distributed. Don't let your tail drag on the ground and rustle the leaves, and pull yourself forward like a snake, keep your paw steps soft. One more thing- don't step on any twigs or branches!"

                Saltpaw nodded. He spotted a mouse and started to pull himself towards it, smoothly as a snake. He, when he was really close to the mouse, didn't notice a twig and stepped on it. Crunch! The mouse looked up, but before it could move, Saltpaw pounced on it.

                "Great job!" Sandpaw meowed.

                "W-what?" Saltpaw looked confuzed. "Why are you telling me that? Isn't it only the leader who congradulates the cats?"

                "No," Sandpaw meowed. "Or at least, not in SandClan. Here, we're all friends!" Or at least most of us! Some of us need to take their paws off my rival! Stupid Ivypaw!

                "Are you okay?" Saltpaw asked.

                "Yeah," Sandpaw meowed. "I was just . . . thinking."

                "What's my next lesson?" Saltpaw meowed happily, swishing his tail.

                "Hey, let's hunt some more first!" Sandpaw laughed. "Then we'll move on to a little bit of fighting practice."