|Warriors| Hunted [Hiatus]

Chapter 3: Hunting Competition

I sit in camp waiting for my mentor. We're suppose to do some training with Stormpaw and Dawnpaw. My brown pelted friend is sitting beside me and Stormpaw is sifting through the fresh-kill pile but I don't think he's actually hungry.

I stretch my right foreleg, my wound is almost healed. I shake my pelt and look at Dawnpaw. "Are you excited for training?" She looks at me, her eyes bright. "I can barely contain myself! What about you, Stormpaw?"

The gray tom looks up from the pile. "Um, yeah, should be fun." I cock my head at him, he looks away, suddenly interested in the insect crawling on the ground. "Echopaw," Flintwhisker calls slipping into camp, shaking water from her pelt.

She's followed by Coolpelt and Bluesky. "Stormpaw, you'll have time to eat later. When we come back." Stormpaw, turns away from the pile and pads over to his mentor. "What are we going to learn first?!" Dawnpaw asks energetically.

Bluesky purrs and looks down at her. "Nothing too exciting, just simple attacks. Then afterward we'll meet up with the other apprentices for hunting."

I nod walking beside Flintwhisker, listening quietly. We leave the camp and move down river to a small clearing surrounded by reeds. "Who shall go first?" Coolpelt asks sitting down, curling his tail around his paws.

"How about Dawnpaw and Echopaw," Flintwhisker suggests and the other two mentors nod their heads.

I jump out of the way as Dawnpaw lunges at me. My flank heaves and I breathe deeply. "Alright, I think that's enough for one day," Coolpelt speaks getting to his paws. "We need to go meet the others." Flintwhisker nods and beckons us over. I pad over to my mentor and we make our way through the territory until we meet up with the others.

I could hear Bonepaw's voice before I saw him. "I'm telling you, that's how it happened!" I sigh and share a look with Dawnpaw.

"Really, Bonepaw?" I hear Emberpaw's remark. "Oh please, that's not what happened! Shut your, muzzle, Bonepaw," Onyxpaw hisses. The three apprentices walk into view debating about something.

Their mentors follow behind them sharing amused glances. "What's going on?" Stormpaw asks looking at them. "Nothing, just Bonepaw being a mouse-brain!" Onyxpaw meows and I laugh.

"So where should we hunt first?" I look up at Frostflower. "Why don't we make this into a competition?" The mentors look at Onyxpaw.

"Yeah, the apprentice that doesn't bring back any prey has to clean out the Elders den and check them for ticks." We all agree thinking it will be fun.

"Alright all meet back here later!" Dawnpaw says and we separate going different directions. I follow the stream, stepping lightly and scanning for prey. I sniff the air filling with excitement.

I stop when I hear faint rustling. I get into a crouch and stalk forward slightly. I make sure to keep my paws clear of leaves or anything that would alert the prey to my presence.

I bunch my muscles and spring, I see the bird pick its head up but I'm already pinning it to the ground. I kill it quickly and look down at my prey. Its a thrush, it's slightly plump, I pick it up proudly.

"Nice catch, Echopaw!" I turn and see Troutpaw. "Thanks," I say my voice muffled by the bird. The feathers tickle my nose and I try not to sneeze. Troutpaw seems to notice and purrs with amusement. "I heard you and the others are having a competition, sounds like fun, I'm curious to see who will lose."

"Troutpaw!" Lilyfeather calls and he turns at the sound of his mentor's voice. "Coming," he calls back before turning to me. "I have to go, I'm suppose to be patrolling right now. See you back at camp!" I wave my tail as he pads away.

I turn and head back, I set my catch in front of my mentor. "Congratulations, Echopaw. You did well for your first hunt." I purr and sit beside her waiting for the others to return.

The next back is Stormpaw, carrying small minnows. Coolpelt looks down at his catch. Stormpaw isn't very happy with his prey. "Well, don't worry you'll get better. It took Adderfang ages to catch his first prey after becoming an apprentice."

Stormpaw perks up at Coolpelt's words. "Really?" The dark tom nods his head and Stormpaw seems happier. Next is Emberpaw, she caught a slightly scrawny squirrel. Coaldust praises her and we talk while we wait.

Then its Dawnpaw with a mouse and then Bonepaw with a rabbit. The only one who didn't catch anything is Onyxpaw who suggested the competition.

I laugh pulling myself onto the bank, water dripping from my pelt. I managed to keep the bird out of the water. I slip into camp and we deposit our prey to the pile. "Alright, Onyxpaw, go get some mouse bile from Robinpelt." Frostflower says, and Onyxpaw goes off to the medicine cat den.

Most of the Clan is lying around camp, eating. Dawnpaw goes to bring food to her mother and father. I go and grab a trout from the fresh-kill pile. I lay down across from the apprentices den.

After I finish eating, I groom. The rest of the Clan shares tongues. I get up and leave camp after the sun starts to go down. I stop near the river and sit, listening to the rushing of the water.

"Echopaw?" I turn and see Troutpaw. "Oh, hey, I'm just listening to the river."

"I know, it's calming, isn't?" I nod and he sits beside me. We talk for a few moments before we go silent and look up at silverpelt. "Come on, let's get back to camp." He says bumping my shoulder with his head.

I nod and we walk back to camp, together. After getting back to camp we slip into the apprentices den. I curl up in my nest listening to my denmates breathing. Moonlight floods the clearing, shining into the den. I close my eyes slipping into sleep.