The sun was just a slither on the horizon as the three cats settled down outside a huge cave that had ivy dangling from the entrance. Birdpaw fluffed up her fur in an attempt to try and block out a cool breeze that was gently flowing through the trees on either side of the cave. It was a peaceful place to be, it felt very spiritual. The cats curled up on the ground on the dead leaves that crunched under their weight and the apprentice looked up at the pinkish-red sky where the first few stars were beginning to appear.

"Every one of those stars up there are one of our ancestors," said Whiskerstar, noticing his apprentice looking up at the sky, "it is comforting to know that they are with you wherever you go."

"Do they normally show themselves to others?" she asked, curling her tail around herself and still gazing up at the sky. Flowerstem walked over and settled herself next to Whiskerstar, looking up at the sky as well.

"Normally it is only medicine cats that can see them," she said, "but they take all different forms. Some see them only during dreams, others only hear voices, but some actually see them like they are a normal cat. StarClan cats often have stars shining in their fur and look reasonably younger." Birdpaw nodded, remembering when Rainshadow visited her and how he had stars in his fur. She wondered why StarClan had picked her to be the "special" cat to have this power that was meant to help save the Clans. What did they see in a young apprentice? Could they see her future?

"Hey Birdpaw," said Whiskerstar, breaking into her thoughts, "do you want to come hunting with me and Flowerstem?" She tore her eyes away from the darkening sky and looked at her mentor as he continued, "I am sure I could teach you some techniques." The apprentice nodded and the grey tabby tom stood up and stretched before waving his tail, signalling for the she-cats to follow him.

"Where do you think the best spot to hunt is?" asked Birdpaw as they walked further into the dark trees. It was slightly eerie with barely any sunlight and no moonlight, plus there was the occasional branch that would creak and make the apprentice jump out of her skin.

"I think there will be some trees that have small hollows in them," replied the tom, "where some mice will be nesting. If we dig deep enough, we should be able to flush them out and then catch them." Birdpaw nodded while Flowerstem sniffed the air, her head held high and nose twitching.

"It is hard to smell anything in here," she said, "since rain has fallen recently. Or it might just because I have been stuck in the medicine cat den for a moon smelling nothing but herbs, herbs and more herbs." Birdpaw laughed but Whiskerstar shot her a look and she immediately became quiet, with the grey tabby tom sniffing the air. It was a few more heartbeats before he looked back over his shoulder at the two cats.

"You are right Flowerstem," said the tom, "it is difficult to tell the scents apart but if we spread out, we have a better chance of catching something. Flowerstem, you can start but don't stray too far and meet back at the cave when you have caught a thing or two. Birdpaw, come with me and I will show you the basics of hunting."

The tortoiseshell and white apprentice nodded, padding after her mentor, not at all loving the feel of the mushy wetland under her white paws. It was very different to the forest back in the SpringClan territory, here barely any light filtered through the many leaves in the trees and the ground was like mud, clinging to their paws and leaving green streaks in their fur.

"Now, when you are hunting," said Whiskerstar, turning around to face his apprentice when they reached a reasonably clear part of the dark forest, "the key thing is to be quiet. The most useful things you have when looking for prey are your eyes and your nose. With your ears, you will be able to hear a mouse scuttling along fallen leaves and with your nose, you will be able to tell the difference between a thrush and a sparrow and other birds.

Now, another important part of hunting it accuracy, otherwise you lose your prey. To make sure you get your prey, you must learn the hunters crouch until you can do it in your sleep. It is simply to learn but takes concentration." The grey tabby crouched down with his feet tucked under him and chin almost touching the ground.

"This is the hunters crouch," he said, "see how I have my legs tucked under me? This is so that I have power when I push off the ground and can land with my paws on the prey. I am also putting all my weight in my back legs so I can jump quietly without alerting prey. You give it a try." He stood up and Birdpaw crouched down to the ground, trying to copy her mentors position, making sure her legs were tucked under and mouth slightly open.

"That is it," Whiskerstar said, "just make sure your back is lower down, yes, there you go, and lower your chin. That's it! Now watch how I leap." The grey tabby settled back down into the position and looked directly at a twig laying on the ground nearby, before leaping high into the air, very silently before his paws hit the twig and snapped it cleanly in half.

"Wow, that was terrific!" said Birdpaw, "Can I try?" Her mentor nodded and moved one of the sides of the twig in front of where she was crouched. The apprentice flattened herself onto the ground and waited a few heart beats before leaping into the air, not as silently, but with the same amount of accuracy, her two front white paws landing directly on the stick.

"Good job!" meowed her mentor, "I don't think I have ever seen an apprentice get it so quickly!" Birdpaw licked her fur, embarrassed, as Whiskerstar spoke again, sounding very happy.

"Why don't you give it a try on real prey?" he said, "I will not be far away, just yowl out if something is wrong. Remember to meet back at the cave when you have caught something and don't stray too far away." The apprentice nodded and bounded off into the bushes nearby, earning herself an eye roll from Whiskerstar.

It was a little while before she picked up the scent of anything, but she eventually smelt a mouse. Pricking her ears, she heard its tiny footsteps in the leaf litter and she immediately crouched down into the hunter's crouch. Very slowly, she crept up on it, getting a glimpse of the brown fur in the green leaves. Then, as silently as she had ever moved in her life, she leapt into the air and landed on the mouse, killing it swiftly. Birdpaw fought the urge to yowl out in excitement, she had caught her first piece of prey!

Remembering what her mentor had said, the apprentice walked back the way they had come into the forest. Though, when she was just a few feet away from the cave she heard voices whispering softly. Fear immediately pulsed through her, and she crouched down. It had to be intruders, there was no way that either Flowerstem or Whiskerstar had finished hunting.

Though, when she peaked through the bushes, Birdpaw spotted the medicine cat and the soon-to-be leader leaning against each other, their tails twining. The apprentice's breath caught in her throat, this couldn't be happening, he mentor and the medicine cat mates? The apprentice watched them, her heart beating rapidly before Whiskerstar stood up and spoke in an audible voice.

"Let me see how Birdpaw is getting on," and with a final purr, he walked into the forest, with Birdpaw slinking back into the shadows, her mouse still in her mouth, though her excitement had disappeared.