Thunderheart, acting like her apprentice self more than he mature cat she seemed to, bristled in anger. "Sooorry! I missed that- you don't have to get your whiskers in a bunch! You know... you're not the same cat you used to be. I blame myself for that. Your different, your heart, it's cold now." Again- my fault. She stormed past Falconswoop. "Come Bluepaw." She instructed and went the opposite direction of the abandoned two-leg nest. "You will meet us back here at sun fall." She ordered through her teeth behind her as she stormed off.

Fallenpaw's ears burned with shame and he ducked his head, as though he thought someone would cuff him at any moment. "Shall we go?" He asked Falconswoop, his mew barely a whisper. He glanced at Bluepaw, his eyes sad.

Tigerkit yawned, bored out of his mind. He looked around, no one was nearby. He glanced at the camps entrance. No one was looking. Maybe he could jut sneak away... He got to his paws and scuttled toward the entrance.

Bluepaw returned Fallenpaw's sad glance. She padded after Thunderheart, slightly slower than usual. Why was Falconswoop suddenly angry? Why didn't he want to hunt with Thunderheart anymore? She was upset that she had to leave Fallenpaw, but knew it would be pointless to argue. I'll see him back at the apprentice den she thought. She ran back towards him and buried the prey she and Thunderheart had caught already. She ran after Thunderheart, a slight bit happier, and followed her, glancing back at Fallenpaw a few times.

Emberpaw followed Gingerpaw. "Will we have to go to Two-Leg Place?" she asked, thinking of kittypets. "Or the ThunderPath?" she asked. This time she thought of speeding monsters crushing her. Gingerpaw can't fix that... she thought.

Falconswoop hissed softly at Thunderheart for claiming his heart to be cold, and was about to turn at her and snap when he realised it'd look horrible if he yelled at the she-cat, when she was the deputy of their clan. "Maybe I should have remained in exile. Then I wouldn't be pestered by a she-cat trying to take back something she can't have," he murmured darkly and headed on through the undergrowth, his tail flickering with anger.

Walking ahead, he finally saw the building where helpful remedies as catmint grew and flourished. Sighing, he had a minor flashback, remembering the days when Tigerswipe, the dark tabby that had longed for power and leadership, had trained him in this building. It was one of his greatest experiences, and he could hardly believe his mighty mentor had been a cruel kitkiller. "We'll be practicing inside the house today. There's still a lot of mice left in there, and with any luck we'll get one or two at the end of the day," he said and twitched his whiskers. "Before we start, I want to look at your crouch. Have you been taught how to stalk rodents?" he asked, wondering how much the young cat knew already.

Wolfkit spotted his brother, slinking off towards the entrance and growled silently. Mom won't like that. And if he runs off, maybe she'll keep me from being an apprentice, as well as him, he figured, using his kit-logic to make out what might be the cause. Bounding forwards, he pounced on his brother and pushed him to the ground, using his advantage of surprise. "Don't! You'll get yourself grounded in the nursery for another 6 moons," he hissed.

Bluepaw heard Falconswoop's murmur. Something she can't have back? she wondered. She imagined asking her and getting yelled at, thinking it may be personal.

Gingerpaw flicked his ears. "I don't know where it is. I was never told." he said, flicking his tail.

Emberpaw looked up. "Well, do you even know what it smells like?" She wasn't rude as she said it.

Gingerpaw nodded to Emberpaw. "Should we go in the morning? It's getting pretty dark out." he said, licking his paws. He knew that anything could be out at night, and that there were the chances of getting hurt by a badger or an owl.

Emberpaw saw the darkening sky. "Yeah, tommorow. Do you think the hunting party saw some?" she asked. If they were out, maybe they caught a glimpse.
Bluepaw looked at Thunderheart. "It's getting dark. Should we go dig up our prey and head home?" she asked.

Gingerpaw blinked. "I'll ask anybody from the hunting party if they saw or smelled any catmint. I'll be in my den if you need me. If you see them coming back, come get me." he said, padding to the medicine cat den.

Emberpaw watched him walk away and said "Ok. Will do!"

Thunderheart looked up at Bluepaw, a small mouse in her jaws. "Er, yes I belive we should go meet up with the others. Grab you prey and lets go." She meowed, giving a small smile to her apprentice.

Fallenpaw had already caught two voles and a sparrow when he realized the sun was setting rather quickly. He placed his prey in front of Falconswoop. "Perhaps we should be on our way?" He meowed looking up at his mentor.

Falconswoop flicked his ears back at his apprentice's suggestion, and his lips curled back in a soft snarl. "No! Training in the dark is more important than you'll ever imagine. You never know what lurks in the shadows," he said and looked at Fallenpaw with narrowed eyes, his amber eyes glinting in the light from the rising moon. "Bury those. Show me your crouch for hunting mice," he demanded, getting tired with his apprentice constantly disobeying him, more or less.

Fallenpaw shrunk down in a hint of fear. "Yes Falconswoop." He meowed respectfully, crouching. He remembered to balance his weight and he curled his tail close to his body, keeping his eyes locked in front of him.

Falconswoop studied Fallenpaw's pose, and walked around the young tom a couple of times, before nosing his back leg slightly to make the apprentice stand a little better. "Keep lower to the ground. Shh!" he hissed quickly and the forest fell completely silent, Falconswoop crouched to the ground. "Do you hear that? That's the heartbeat of your prey. Or other creatures, for that matter. You can't see them, though when you bend close enough to the ground," he paused and trailed his paw over the ground. "You'll hear them," he whispered and looked at Fallenpaw.

"And if you can hear them... They can hear you," he said in a low voice, flicking his ears so he caught the sound of small paws rushing over the floor, and the soft thud of a tiny heart. Whipping around he leaped into a nearby bush, took a moment to bring down the prey before he headed back over to Fallenpaw, adding the prey to the pile they'd caught. "Try," he whispered, well aware that prey could hear better than any of them.

Gingerpaw saw the cats coming back. He padded over to Thunderheart. "Thunderheart, did you see or smell any catmint while you were out?" he asked, dipping his head to show his respect. He flicked his ears once more and shivered.

Bluepaw was carrying the mice, vole, and chaffinch she had caught. She placed them in the fresh kill pile and walked over to Gingerpaw. "I didn't see or smell any. I don't think Thunderheart did either. Maybe Falconswoop and Fallenpaw did?" she suggested.

Gingerpaw nodded. "I'll ask them in the morning." he said. Padding back to his den, he let out a small yawn. He stretched and laid down in his den.

Emberpaw padded to the fresh kill pile. She grabbed a small chaffinch and walked to the apprentice den to eat.

Thunderheart nodded, confirming what Bluepaw said and looked around camp. "So Falconswoop disobeyed me? I told him to meet us where we split up." She meowed, trying to keep a growl from her voice. Then she spotted her kits near the camp entrance, why hadn't she seen them when she walked in? She trotted over at a brisk pace.

Tigerkit jumped when he saw Thunderheart padding over. "Too late now." He hissed to his brother and straightened up.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked, her voice calm but with a stern undertone. "T-To the nursery?" Tigerkit mumbled. "That's what I thought." She meowed as the smaller kit passed her. She turned her attention to Wolfkit, her eyes sharp in their darkening surroundings. "Follow your brother, I'l be in to tell you a story after I grab some prey alright?" She meowed more gently.

Silverfeather wrote:

Falconswoop studied Fallenpaw's pose, and walked around the young tom a couple of times, before nosing his back leg slightly to make the apprentice stand a little better. "Keep lower to the ground. Shh!" he hissed quickly and the forest fell completely silent, Falconswoop crouched to the ground. "Do you hear that? That's the heartbeat of your prey. Or other creatures, for that matter. You can't see them, though when you bend close enough to the ground," he paused and trailed his paw over the ground. "You'll hear them," he whispered and looked at Fallenpaw.

"And if you can hear them... They can hear you," he said in a low voice, flicking his ears so he caught the sound of small paws rushing over the floor, and the soft thud of a tiny heart. Whipping around he leaped into a nearby bush, took a moment to bring down the prey before he headed back over to Fallenpaw, adding the prey to the pile they'd caught. "Try," he whispered, well aware that prey could hear better than any of them.

Wolfkit glared angrily at his brother for trying to make both of them get in trouble, although didn't argue with his mother and obeyed him like any loyal warrior would. Padding into the nursery, he gave a fit of coughing, his entire body shaky afterwards as he stumbled over to the nest and climbed into it, laying down within it and sneezing, feeling oddly cold and tired.

Tigerkit looked at his brother with worried large eyes and nudged him gently. "Hey Wolfkit, you okay??" He asked, lip trembling.

Fallenpaw slightly shifted his position to try to understand what his mentor heard. He crouched lower, perking his ears. Then he heard it, slighly to his right. He moved his eyes but nothing else. Then he tensed and sprang in between the roots of a large tree. He appeared a moment later, a mouse in his jaws, eyes shinning triumphantly.

Thunderheart picked up two mice when she heard Wolfkit's coughing. She ran to the nursery and set the prey down quickly. She saw Wolfkit in their nest and began stroking her tail down Wolfkit's back. "Dear are you alright?" She meowed, voice tight and strained with worry. "Gingerpaw!" She called out the den entrance before returning to her kits side. She shivered when she remembered her mother and sister, when they lay dying... They had been coughing for so long... She shook her head and focused on Wolfkit, nuzzling him gently.

Gingerpaw padded over to the nursery. "Yes, Thunderheart?" he asked, flicking his ears and eyeing Wolfkit. He thought that it was a dream for a minute, but then he shook his head. He shuffled his paws and sat down. "Is everything alright?" he asked, yawning.

Wolfkit didn't really pick up what Tigerkit said, nor did he hear what Thunderheart said. He just crouched on the ground, quivering and sniffling. It felt like someone had stuffed his ears with moss, and had let the stream run through his nose. Sniffling he coughed again and shuddered, and didn't react to Thunderheart's nuzzling.

"Gingerpaw! Can't you see? It's Wolfkit! Please help him!" She cried, trying to remain calm, but obviously not doing well.

Gingerpaw looked at Wolfkit. "He may have kittencough," he said to Thunderheart. "This shouldn't be a problem to get rid of." he padded over to the medicine cat's den to get some catmint, and padded back to the nursery. "This should do it." he said, putting down the catmint in front of Wolfkit. "Here, Wolfkit. Have this." he pushed it towards him softly, hoping he would eat it. He looked at Thunderheart. "He should feel better by eating this." he said, flicking his ears and smiling. He sat down and shuffled his paws.