"I won!"

Owlpaw screeched, skidding to a stop as Sedgestorm's voice sounded behind him.

"As if!" The apprentice felt something crush him, and he looked up to see Sedgestorm. "Battle training today!"

The dark brown tom lashed his tail, narrowing his eyes.

Owlpaw arched his back, throwing Sedgestorm off. He leaped up, whipping around to see his mentor growling, his fur raised.

"Seems as if we're going to have a little pre-battle," the warrior purred.

"Indeed," Owlpaw narrowed his eyes at Sedgestorm, taking in his surroundings. A rock to Sedgestorm's left, a bush nearby somewhere... He wasn't able to look at the rest, for his mentor had jumped towards him.

Sedgestorm started to run towards the apprentice, but the tom knew better. Owlpaw skirted away from his mentor, picking up the pace and running around the older tom. Quickly recalling training, he remembered a move named half-turn belly rake. He swiftly saved that for later.

The warrior whipped around, a bright light shimmering in his eyes, as he bolted towards his apprentice. The smaller tom wasn't able to move quick enough and Sedgestorm performed they had learned last time; forepaw slash. He, with sheathed claws, brought his paw down on Owlpaw's head. With a hiss, the apprentice jerked back. He ducked and rolled away from his mentor, leaping up.

With a very quick surveying of his surroundings, Owlpaw recalled that rock was nearby. The apprentice ran around the rock, crouching behind it. He peeked out from the left side; there was Sedgestorm, turning around and beginning to run towards the rock. With an explosive screech, Owlpaw sprung over the rock, landing on Sedgestorm and he pinned him down.

"Are you done yet?" Sedgestorm asked, smirking and flipping his apprentice over, who was breathing heavily under the warrior's weight.

With a faintly irritated eye roll, Owlpaw shook his head. "Don't think so."

Growling, Owlpaw arched his back to throw the warrior off. But his mentor held his ground, firmly planting him against the ground. Looking up at the older tom, he flicked his whiskers, wondering how he could out. He probably didn't have enough strength to roll under Sedgestorm and away from him. He probably couldn't do the play dead move; it was so overused and everyone knew you just don't go limp and expect to get free.

I'm stuck... Owlpaw realized.

Sedgestorm smiled. "Is it over by default?" He queried.

With a resigned sigh, the apprentice nodded. His mentor got off Owlpaw, almost defensive as if he expected him to start up the mock battle again.

"Today we'll learn two moves. The first one is called upright lock," Sedgestorm began, flicking his tail. "Do you notice anything different about this area?"

Owlpaw surveyed the area - again. He noticed rocks, some taller objects and things that you can hide around. Perhaps jump off of. "There's rocks and a lot of things you can hide around and jump off."

"Good! That will pertain to the next move." Sedgestorm nodded. "This is a complicated, final move on a previously weakened enemy. If you had used a stronger move a little while ago, maybe scruff shake on a smaller opponent, this one would finish them off completely. It's good to use on a smaller cat, like yourself. Or, a smaller enemy can use this on a well-sized cat with extreme strength and speed."

"The cat performing this move must first rear up on their back legs and bring their weight down on the other cat. This will momentarily stun them, possibly. Then, you finish them off with simply pinning them down. However, if the other opponent tries to do a move similar to this, you need to wrestle them and flip them underneath you. Got it?"

With a blink, Owlpaw nodded. That was a lot to take in.

So I'm supposed to crush a warrior and then keep him there?

He wondered, and Sedgestorm nudged his apprentice, "Ready to go? We've still got another move to learn!"

Owlpaw closed his golden eyes, and he opened them again, nodding, "Yes."

"I'll do it on you first," Sedgestorm offered, "so you can see how it's done."

The warrior came over to Owlpaw, rearing up on his hind legs. He looked very tall and the apprentice wondered if, in battle, he could speed off. He was a smaller cat - well, he was an apprentice - but he knew he probably could skirt off during battle.

Sedgestorm then crushed Owlpaw underneath him swiftly, pinning him with great strength.

"There. You try."

Owlpaw stood up after Sedgestorm had gotten off of him. He padded over to the stronger, bigger tom, and closed his golden eyes. He reared up on his hind legs and brought his weight down. He missed the tom and he landed on the ground with a thump.

"Try again," Sedgestorm urged his apprentice.

He tried again, attempting to crush the warrior. But he missed. He padded back over, shaking out his fur and rearing up. He crushed his mentor this time, but not strong enough. The warrior easily threw his apprentice off. He walked over again, blinking at his mentor. Sedgestorm looked encouragingly at his apprentice.

He padded up to his mentor, closing his golden eyes. He reared up, feeling tall and able. He brought down all his weight, but he missed. He crushed the ground beneath his paws.

With an irritated swish of his tail, he stalked off angrily.

"I can't do it!"

Sedgestorm came racing after. "Wait! Owlpaw, come back!"

"No, Sedgestorm!" He hissed at his mentor, his neck fur bristled up angrily. "I can't do this stupid move, and you can see that. I won't be needing to fight anytime soon with this idiotic sickness going around! Everyone's going to die if StarClan doesn't do anything soon! It's the end of the Clans. Just like last time."

As Sedgestorm gave an almost confused look, Owlpaw continued, his eyes angrily shimmering.

"Remember those nursery stories about ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan? The elders talk about the great Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, who died by being crushed by a tree. Hazelberry told a story once of Bluestar, who gave up her kits to RiverClan so her Clan wouldn't be led by an evil cat called Thistleclaw. My mother told me once of Mistystar, one of those kits that Bluestar gave up, who went on to lead RiverClan, one of the longest living leaders. She also told me of Tallstar, a noble WindClan leader who lived through the journey, when the Clans moved away from their original homes to get away from twolegs.

"My father told me of Yellowfang and Cinderpelt, two medicine cats from ThunderClan. They were skilled in their art, he told me. He told me of Whitestorm, Firestar's loyal deputy until he died during the battle with Scrouge. My mother told me of Hollyleaf, a ThunderClan she-cat who was supposed to be part of a prophecy, but wasn't. She was replaced with Dovewing, a white she-cat. They tell me of Ivypool, Dovewing's sister, who went to the Dark Forest. But she betrayed them in the end, staying loyal to ThunderClan."

"They tell me of Rowanstar, a powerful ShadowClan tom who lead his Clan well. Hazelberry told me of Tawnypelt, sister to Bramblestar of ThunderClan, daughter of Tigerstar, a crooked tom who wanted to rule all of the Clans. Tawnypelt left ThunderClan as an apprentice and she built her pride and loyalty to ShadowClan from the ground up. They tell of Blackstar, the predecessor of Rowanstar, a strong, fair tom who led for a long time."

"All the cats who are alive eventually die, but nobody knows how they died, and StarClan doesn't tell anyone, either. I doubt they just 'died off' like everyone says. I used to ask my parents, the elders, and Hazelberry when I was younger. I bet they died just like we are now. Or something like it. StarClan would be doing something by now if they really thought it was an issue. Apparently, two groups of cats from different time periods dying is just okay to them."

His mentor nearly staggered away, but he stood taller, and he stood in front of his apprentice, looking down at him. "Owlpaw, do not speak to me like that. Do not use StarClan's name in that way. We've talked about this before." He asserted firmly, his eyes dark. "One more time, please, and we can do the next move tomorrow."

Owlpaw whipped around, reared up, and brought all his weight down furiously. He missed. The tom crushed the ground beneath him, tearing up the grassy terrain.

"We can try again later." He said, his voice completely flat. "We've talked about StarClan and the sickness before, Owlpaw. And we've also talked about ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and WindClan, too. You are not to speak like that again to your mentor."

Sedgestorm padded off, tail lashing irritably.

Owlpaw stared after him, padding after him a moment later, a sigh escaping him.