Shade

Chapter Four

Smoketail was too fast for Shadepaw to keep up, so she had to concentrate on his scent to find him. Giving up on running, she moved carefully through the forest, jaws parted to pick up his scent. Due to a lucky change in wind direction, she was downwind to him, and so his scent was blown towards her. The occasional scrap of fur caught in a bush also helped guide her, until she emerged from the forest - which, she realised now, did not cover the whole territory - onto a vast stretch of moorland. She could see the marshes that covered a long, fallen tree that led over to an island in the lake where she knew Gatherings were held.

Smoketail was waiting for her, tail curled around his paws. "What took you so long?"

"You were too fast," Shadepaw complained. "I had to track your scent to find you."

"You didn't do too badly," Smoketail conceded. "Though you could have been a bit faster."

Shadepaw bristled. "I only just got made an apprentice! I can't run as fast as you!"

Smoketail's ears twitched. "How disappointing. Attack me."

"What?" Shadepaw stared at her mentor. "Just... attack you? Just like that?"

"Just like that," Smoketail confirmed. "Go."

Shadepaw didn't know any fighting moves, but she crouched down and put her weight in her hind legs, preparing to leap. Smoketail had not moved, and was still sat calmly with his tail around his paws. Shadepaw narrowed her eyes and sprang at him.

Her leap was short, but she hadn't meant to jump at him. She ran around his side and reared up on her hind legs, claws extended, ready to rake them down his side. Before she could attack, however, Smoketail flashed out a paw and pushed her onto her back, pinning her to the ground.

"No claws," he said calmly. "If you're going to fight like a kit, maybe you should have stayed in the nursery."

"I'm not a kit!" Shadepaw hissed, flattening her ears. Smoketail removed his paw from her throat.

"Prove it, then. Shadekit."

Shadepaw's fur fluffed up with indignation. She scrambled backwards and narrowed her eyes at Smoketail. This was one of her favourite tactics, though it was not technically a battle move. In the midst of a fight, her opponent would think she was glaring, and only an observant warrior would notice her taking in their every detail and planning her next move. She had a feeling that Smoketail knew precisely what she was doing, but the dark grey tom made no move.

Shadepaw skittered forwards, keeping her belly low. Smoketail was a lot bigger than her, so he had strength and skill on his side, but Shadepaw could use her size to her advantage. Predictably, Smoketail lifted one forepaw to try and push her back, but Shadepaw lashed out before he could and hit his other paw. He'd put too much weight on it, and his leg collapsed beneath him. Shadepaw streaked under his belly and arched her spine, hitting him hard. Smoketail yowled, more in surprise than pain, and Shadepaw took the encouragement in her stride. She twisted on her hind legs and leaped onto Smoketail's back.

Her mentor was huffing. He shook his pelt violently, but Shadepaw dug her teeth into his scruff so she stayed on. She raked her hind legs down his back, and pummelled his shoulders with her forepaws. If her claws had been unsheathed, his fur would be in tatters by now.

Without warning, Smoketail rolled over onto his back - similar to the move Shadepaw had used against Shimmerpaw the night before when her sister had ambushed her. Shadepaw released her mentor's scruff and sprang away from him just in time to avoid being crushed against the hard earth.

Smoketail straightened himself up, eyes shining. "That's exactly what I wanted to see. Well done, Shadepaw."

"Told you I'm not a kit," Shadepaw grumbled, but couldn't swallow back the purr that rose in her throat.

She was suddenly cut off when Smoketail butted her sharply in the flank. Being more than half his size, she fell to the ground and skidded across the moor a short way.

"Hey!" Shadepaw stood up, fur on end. "I though I already beat you."

"Do I look beaten to you?" Smoketail replied. "In a battle, you have to keep fighting until your opponent can't fight back. They may choose to back off, but you need to be on the alert. One ThunderClan technique that's caught me before is the act of pretending to flee, then striking just as you're relaxing. You need to be prepared. Go again."

Shadepaw shook herself out and charged at her mentor again. This time, he was ready for her, and leaped clear of her before spinning on his hind paws and trapping her like a mouse under his forepaws. His claws were sheathed, but she still felt the power concealed in his paws. She struggled against his hold, but he had her pinned.

"I win," Smoketail meowed calmly, releasing Shadepaw. She shook out her pelt.

"That wasn't fair."

"Never use the same move twice," Smoketail lectured. "Your enemy will be ready for it."

Shadepaw stretched out each of her legs individually and flexed her claws. "It's only my first day," she complained. "I shouldn't even be starting on battle training yet. Can't we take a break?"

"You can't take a break in the middle of a battle," Smoketail responded.

"But I'm not in the middle of a battle!" Shadepaw exclaimed angrily. "It's just training!"

"Battle training," Smoketail said firmly. "How are you supposed to fight properly if you don't know how a battle works? I'm your mentor. It's my duty to teach you how to be a warrior, and that's what I'm doing."

Shadepaw snorted. "You're hardly more than an apprentice yourself."

"Maybe," Smoketail agreed. "But I've been a warrior longer than you've been an apprentice. Now on your paws, and attack me again."

Shadepaw dragged herself up onto her paws. Smoketail was stood in a ready position, but once again he was letting her have the first move. Shadepaw allowed herself to take the opportunity to do a little more analysis.

Smoketail stood at a slight angle to her. His head was turned to look directly at her, but his side was completely open. His tail was held aloft, pointing away from his body. If she aimed for his side, as she was sure he was expecting her to do, Shadepaw would no doubt be hit by his hind paw and sent flying into the ground. If she darted around to his front, that would only give him more time to fend her off.

Shadepaw made her decision. She charged at her mentor's side. As she'd anticipated, he raised his hind leg, preparing to deliver a powerful kick. Just before she reached him, Shadepaw pushed hard against the ground and leaped onto his back. It was messy, but it worked. Being small, the only chance she had against a full-grown warrior was to get on their back. That way, she had a clear shot and was almost untouchable.

"Do I win yet?" She teased.

"Not yet." Smoketail ducked his head without warning and rolled over, too quickly for Shadepaw to jump off his back. She was pushed against the ground by his weight, and when he got up, she stayed flopped over on the ground.

"Shadepaw." Smoketail nudged her with his nose. "Come on, get up."

"You're very unsympathetic." Shadepaw sniffed. "You could have killed me."

Smoketail rolled his eyes. "No, I couldn't."

"How do you know?" Shadepaw challenged. "I'm much smaller than you."

"Yes, practically a kit," Smoketail agreed, then picked her up by the scruff.

"Hey!" Shadepaw screeched. "Put me down!"

"Kits get carried," Smoketail replied around her fur. "And you're out of the camp. Kits aren't allowed out the camp, so I'm going to take you back."

"I'm not a kit!" Shadepaw tried to kick Smoketail, but she couldn't reach. "Put - me - down!"

"Sorry, Shadekit. I have to take you back to your parents."

"I'll get you back for this," Shadepaw growled, then simmered silently the whole way back to camp. She needed to plan the perfect revenge.