═══════════════════════════════════════════When they reached the RiverClan camp, Aspenshadow nodded toward a small hedge. "That bush is the apprentice's den. You'll sleep there until you become a full warrior." Swiftpaw wearily trudged to the den, exausted from the tiring journey around the seemingly endless territory. She collapsed in a comforting nest of moss and leaves. A black apprentice approached her curiously. "It seems like Aspenshadow really tired you out," he muttered. Swiftpaw purred at the sight of her littermate. "You're right, Ashpaw," she confided. "Aspenshadow explained the entire territory to me. There were so many locations, I started having trouble keeping up him." Ashpaw nodded. "Doeleap pretty much did the same," he began as he lifted his chin boldly. "But I'm not tired at all, I was keeping up perfectly," the small black cat boasted. Swiftpaw rolled her eyes. "Sure you were," she replied sarcastically. "We should get some rest. Aspenshadow's training me to hunt tomorrow." The ginger and white apprentice rested her head on her paws and drifted into sleep. ═══════════════════════════════════════════ Swiftpaw awoke abruptly before sunrise, for today she would learn valuable hunting techniques. She bounded out of the apprentice's den and quickly chose a water vole from the fresh kill pile. The ginger and white cat devoured the prey and eagerly ran across the clearing to the warrior's den. Aspenshadow was patiently awaiting her arrival at the excavated entrance of the den. He lashed his tail and purred. "I see you've woken up early. Most apprentices wish to sleep until sunhigh," he meowed. "Come, you must be ready to train." She nodded and followed him through the trees to the riverbank. ═══════════════════════════════════════════ "Hunting fish is pretty difficult when you're first starting out," Aspenshadow explained. "But with practice, you can perform it without almost any effort." He shifted into a sitting position beside his apprentice shortly in front of the river. He gazed into the water, scanning for silhouettes of nearby prey. "You must have patience," he whispered so he wouldn't frighten the fish. "On top of that, you cannot let your shadow cast into the river, for it will scare away any close prey." Swiftpaw nodded as she expectantly watched her mentor hunt. Aspenshadow unsheathed his claws and lowered his paw into the water. "You must be stealthy, but at the same time quick. Fish can sense your paw approaching, so you must catch it before it swims away," he muttered. The gray tabby suddenly grasped a large pike in his claws and tossed it next to him on the sandy riverbank. Swiftpaw exchanged glances with Aspenshadow, her vision filled with awe. Her mentor stepped backward to let the ginger and white cat have space. "It is now time for you to give hunting a try," Aspenshadow commanded. ═══════════════════════════════════════════
I'm proud to announce the release of part four! I've been working on this for a while now, and part five of the first book should be available to view on Scratch very soon. Hope you enjoyed reading this :3 ◄ Previous | https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/264749600/ ► Following | nothing yet
