Sorrelpaw waited tensely in the apprentice den. The other apprentice, Snappaw, was still sleeping. His littermate was already up - she could hear his voice outside the den.

"Take a warrior with you!" Grasswind called.

"I know!" Mintpaw yowled back.

Sorrelpaw glanced at the sky. The sun had already risen - any time now Icefang would appear and bring her to train.

Wait till I see the look on his face when I surprise him! Sorrelpaw thought excitedly.

The moment the familiar white pelt appeared outside the apprentices' den, Sorrelpaw leaped at it.

"Sorrelpaw, get off me," Icefang mewed.

"I surprised you, didn't I?" she was bouncing with triumph as she spoke.

"I admit I didn't expect that," Icefang replied. "Since you are so full of energy today, I think it will be good to teach you new battling techniques."

"I have been practising!" Sorrelpaw mewed. "Look at this!"

She concentrated and swiped at the air as fast as she could.

"Not bad at all," he mewed. "But you must remember that accuracy is important as well."

"Are we going to work on that today?" she asked.

"In a way," Icefang mewed. "Let's go to the Shaded Hollow today."

"Why there?" Sorrelpaw questioned. "Isn't it better if we just go to the clearing like last time?"

"It will be a good practice to fight in dark areas," he explained patiently. "In the dark, accuracy becomes very important. Your eyes have to be accustomed to the dark for you to be able to see more clearly."

"That's great!" Sorrelpaw mewed. "Let's go then!"

She ran out of camp. Based on the tour Icefang gave her a moon ago, she remembered that the Shaded Hollow is deep inside the spruce forest.

Sorrelpaw let out a yelp of surprise when her paw was caught by a bramble.

"Are you okay?" Icefang stopped behind her. "You shouldn't run in the spruce forest like that. There are a lot of things that could injure you."

"Sorry," Sorrelpaw winced as he carefully snapped the bramble into two to let Sorrelpaw's paw out.

"Do you need to go to the medicine cat den?" Icefang asked.

"No, I'm be okay," Sorrelpaw insisted.

"Tell me if your paw hurts again," he mewed, padding towards their destination.

Sorrelpaw followed, careful to avoid any more brambles or thorns that threatened to hurt her.

When they arrived at the Shaded Hollow, Sorrelpaw could barely see her mentor.

Thick tree branches and leaves blocked most of the sunlight, which made the Shaded Hollow darker than it should be.

"I can't see here very well," Sorrelpaw's voice echoed around the hollow.

"Follow my voice," Icefang instructed.

"Okay," she whispered.

"If you can't see properly, use your ears. Can you hear a bird flying on top of us?" Icefang mewed.

Sorrelpaw stopped moving to listen. "I could barely hear it."

"It takes practice," Icefang mewed. "Don't worry about it so much. Can you feel the ground tremble when I slam my paw on it?"

"Barely," Sorrelpaw replied softly.

"It's okay, that's why I'm training you," her mentor mewed. "Let's get started with a mini brawl. As we fight - with sheathed claws of course, I will tell you want you should do."

As he spoke, Sorrelpaw noticed how he avoided saying what she did wrong. Instead he said that he would tell her what she should do.

"Attack me," Icefang meowed.

Sorrelpaw nodded and aimed for Icefang's white pelt that stuck out from the darkness.

"Try not to aim directly at me," Icefang advised as he dodged easily. "If you can, you could also do shorter blows to make it faster."

"Got it," Sorrelpaw replied, trying to hit her mentor once more.

"Better," he mewed. "But your enemy may not be standing still or just moving side to side to dodge. They can counter your attacks, especially if they are stronger than you."

"So, what do I do when I meet an opponent like that?" she asked worriedly.

"Use your speed to outmatch them," Icefang mewed simply. "Move fast and attack fast - this way will make them confused more easily."

They continued until the last of the light shining on the dark hollow faded away.

"You must be hungry after all that training," Icefang mewed. "Go and have the pick of the fresh-kill. I would expect that Snappaw have completed his duties. Don't forget, tomorrow is your turn."

"Thanks!" Sorrelpaw's eyes were bright as she grabbed a piece of fresh-kill from the pile and began eating.

~~~~

(POV change)

"It's a pity she's going to be abother one of the victims, isn't it Icefang?" a cat mewed to the BrambleClan warrior.

"Yes," he agreed. "Perhaps she could be more useful than certain cats around here."

"She has too much good in her," the other cat spat, but he smirked a heartbeat later. "That will be her greatest downfall."