a young tom—cat found himself deep in a forest. the scent of pine needles, and the rustle of leaves carried in the warm breeze that drifted past. a rapid flash of a birds wing passed overhead.

a sound — quiet but distinct — stirred hollyhockpaw from the depths of his sleep. the approaching thud of paws on the earth grew closer, dragging him into the waking world. the apprentice's den was still dim, the soft early morning light filtering in through the gaps in the walls.

hollyhockpaw blinked sleep from his eyes. the nest of moss and fern beneath him was warm, inviting him to stay just a little longer, to close his eyes and drift back into the peaceful haven of sleep. but the thundering sound persisted, and soon the familiar scent of the clan's deputy reached his nose — a mix of mud and pine, as well as the faintest trace of the fresh—kill pile.

slowly, hollyhockpaw raised his head.

the leaves to the apprentice's den ruffled and a golden tabby face looked left and right, a grin upon his face. standing at the entrance of the den, silhouetted against the soft pink and gold hues of dawn, was mothroar.

the deputy's broad shoulders filled the entrance, his tabby pelt catching the light in such a way that every stripe seemed to shimmer with the hues of the morning. his amber eyes swept over the den, coming to rest on two of the slumbering forms curled up near his apprentice.

❝ sweetpaw, wingpaw, ❞ mothroar's voice was low but carried a note of urgency. ❝ your mentors are waiting. you don't want to keep either of them standing around while the sun rises, do you? ❞

the apprentices stirred, blinking awake at the sound of their names. they exchanged a brief glance at each other, then moved towards mothroar, who stepped aside to allow them to pass through the entrance of the den.

hollyhockpaw lowered his head, intending to sink back into his nest. maybe today wasn't the day. maybe his training would start tomorrow, or the day after that. but before he could close his eyes again, mothroar's voice cut through the silence like a claw through the air.

❝ hollyhockpaw, ❞

his heart skipped a beat as he looked up. mothroar's gaze was fixed on him now, the intensity in his eyes making it clear that this was no casual conversation.

❝ what is it, mothroar? ❞ the tuxedo 'paw asked, his voice still hoarse with sleep. he got up and stretched out his legs, his back arched before giving a loud yawn.

was he about to be scolded?

but mothroar's expression softened as he stepped into the den. ❝ you've had enough rest, ❞ he purred, tone steady. ❝ up you get. it's time you started your training, ❞

❝ ready? ❞ mothrosr asked, the question hung in the air like a challenge.

hollyhockpaw hesitated only for a heartbeat before he nodded, determination flaring to life within him. ❝ yes, i'm ready, ❞

mothroar turned to leave and hollyhockpaw followed him. the dawn sky greeted him with a burst of colours — brilliant oranges and soft purples blending into the deep blue of the night that was slowly retreating.

❝ its time for you to put in your effort as a whisperclan cat. get ready, we are heading to the large marshland today. ❞ mothstar called from over his shoulder, with his tail lashing left and right as he stalked across camp.

❝ so... ❞ hollyhockpaw began, gulping. he was anxious about the awkward silence the both of them had been in for the entirety of their walk. despite mothroar being his mentor, he didn't speak to the tom all that much. he'd spent the last moon being on and off with training, after the loss of his father. mothroar knew not to push someone while they were mourning, no matter the situation.

hollyhockpaw was due to speak again and ask where in starclan they where, but he needn't say anything after he plodded his paw into thick, gooey muck: which caused his lips to curl in disgust.

the marshland was amazing. the whole territory was groggy and covered with splatters of muddy waters, but the large marshland was a sight to see. thick fog, the reeds taller than the majority, and murky waters that splashed underfoot.

mothroar finally broke the quiet that hollyhockpaw deeply dreaded. ❝ i'm going to teach you how to hunt like a true whisperclan warrior. and how to fight like one too. you will be a force to be reckoned with when you grow, mark my words ❞

the warrior explained what the both of them where doing so far out here, alone, with no additional watchful eyes or prying ears listening in on them. with the marsh being so enormous — the likelihood of bumping into another cat from their clan was slim.

up ahead, reeds rustled gently. they swayed side to side as something crawled through them. a low growl emitted from mothroar's muzzle and he leaped into the air — vanishing into the thick fog. this spooked hollyhockpaw, for a moment, but he composed himself a second later.

he waited.

moments later, the tabby tom—cat reappeared. a frog was clasped in his jaw, still wriggling and struggling: attempting to break free. it's movement ceased upon the final bite that mothroar delivered, killing the amphibian.

❝ your turn now, hollyhockpaw, ❞. muttered mothroar with the frog dropped at his paws. he took a seat on a mossy patch of terrain he'd shuffled towards. ❝ i want you to catch your own prey today. ❞

hollyhockpaw felt his heart hammer with excitement, a twinge of nausea too. but the apprentice knew he had to make his mentor proud: and set out into the reeds where mothroar emerged from moments ago.

creeping through the thick reeds, his ears prickled at the sound of distant scampering, followed by some splashing. he stalked through the tall brown stalks until his eyes caught glimpse of what created the noise.

a mouse.

he crouched instantly. his body tucked in neatly, tail frigid and his whiskers wiggling in unison with his nose as he scented to see how far ahead the mouse was. he didn't want to leap at the wrong moment. it would be foolish of him.

the creature stood with a blade of grass in its paws, tiny teeth drilling away as it chomped and gnawed at the greenery. it wasn't aware of his presence, oblivious to the dangers of the world. it's small paw brushed along the back of its head, swiping down and over its ears. it was now grooming.

the apprentice's eyes glazed and hollyhockpaw licked his lips. his stomach bubbled with excitement. he launched. the rodent panicked and scattered forward, dropping its food as it did, and weaved in and out to avoid the cat that pursued it. the thrill of this all felt excellent. the wind in his whiskers, the breeze upon his pelt.

the mouse was fast: but hollyhockpaw was faster. the chase lasted a few moments, lengthened purely out of pleasure for hollyhockpaw. he liked to see the creature panic, hear it's wails and squeaks as he narrowed in and swiped a clawed paw at it every bound he took.

satisfied with the fun game of cat and mouse he had created hollyhockpaw hurled himself onto the mouse's body and wormed his head towards the body of the small mammal. he applied a firm grip upon its neck until he heard a click — the snap of its spinal chord, before he triumphantly trotted back towards where he last left his mentor.

the tom was bursting with pride as he held the mouse in his mouth. this was the first successful hunt he had done. sure, he had chased about rats back at his old home when he lived with his mother daisy, but he never got to kill them. his mother refused.

bounding back to the clearing where mothroar was resting, hollyhockpaw approached him with the mouse held high in the air. ❝ look! ❞ he meowed excitedly, dropping the prey at mothroar's feet after parading around him. ❝ i caught a mouse, ❞

his mentor got up, purring with approval, his
orange eyes glinting with pride. ❝ oh my— well done, hollyhock. your father would be so proud of you, ❞

hollyhockpaw felt his ears grow warm and he gulped and took a seat near the older cat.

❝ you've proven yourself as a skilled hunter, but there is more to a warrior than catching prey, ❞

hollyhockpaw's ears perked up with curiosity and interest and he watched as his mentor got up and stretched his muscles, flecking out his claws while circling him.

❝ you need to be able to fight for your clan, to protect them from harm, ❞

an electrified surge of thrill pulsated through his body. he had always admired mothroar's impressive fighting skills, from what he had heard from brindlefur when he was in the medicine den moons ago. he longed to be as strong and skilled as him.

❝ come, ❞ mothroar flicked his tail for the 'paw to follow and he guided him into a more open area within the marshland — a slight clearing, with a few fallen trees that were smothered with moss.

mothroar began circling around the 'paw, like how he did earlier before they transitioned elsewhere. his eyes narrowed and he rolled his head, his bones crackling while he continued walking around his apprentice.

❝ the first thing you need to know is how to defend yourself, ❞ he meowed before darting towards the smaller feline. hollyhockpaw yowled with surprise as mothroar's giant paws pinned him to the ground.

❝ you need to be ready for anything, ❞ mothroar growled after pulling himself off hollyhockpaw. hollyhockpaw stood nervously, his fur bristling with anticipation, awaiting another lunge.

he was surprised to not be swatted in the body by mothroar's paws, and gave his mentor a confused gaze.

❝ see these logs here? ❞ mothroar spoke, his voice loud, knocking hollyhockpaw out of his momentary puzzled trance. confirming with a nod, he let mothroar continue.

❝ follow my lead, we'll start with the basics ❞

mothroar swiped towards the bark of the logs, as if to be swinging at an imaginary foe, before turning and looking and hollyhockpaw.

hollyhockpaw mimicked mothroar's move, swinging his paw with as much force as he could muster. his paw made contact with the trunk, sending splinters flying everywhere. hollyhockpaw couldn't help but grin with satisfaction.

❝ good, ❞ mothroar praised. ❝ but remember, hollyhockpaw, a true warrior always stays focused. you cannot afford to get distracted in battle. it could cost you your life, ❞

he nodded, determined to impress his mentor with his skills, and lunged forward with a powerful strike, but his momentum carried him off balance, and he tumbled to the ground.

❝ oof— ❞ hollyhockpaw gasped as he struggled to regain his footing. and mothroar looked at him with a mixture of concern, and amusement.

❝ take it easy, young one. it takes time to master these moves. but don't worry, soon enough you'll be tackling actual foe — rather than a dead tree, ❞

the tom sighed, feeling deflated. hollyhockpaw knew that his mentor was right. becoming a great warrior took hard work, dedication, and above all, patience. but, despite the setbacks, hollyhockpaw remained resolute. he was determined to prove himself to his clan, to be the best warrior he could be. and with mothroar by his side, he felt confident. he felt unstoppable.

the clouds shifted in the sky, and the air smelt groggy — rain was due to arrive shortly. mothroar and hollyhockpaw had been out for a long time as it was, stormstar was probably a little worried as to where his deputy had gone.

❝ let's head back, grab your mouse and let's get moving. we don't want to get caught out here when it rains, the 'gators like to crawl from the depths when it pours. i don't fancy our first fight having to be with one of those beasts, ❞ chortled the larger feline after he plodded toward where he left his hunt from earlier.

tensing at the thought of an alligator made hollyhockpaw hurry. he grabbed his mouse quickly and raced towards mothroar, who was already leaving the marshlands.

❝ you did well today. i'm impressed. you are certainly your fathers son, ❞. mumbled mothroar. that was the last thing he said after exiting the marshland. and the rest of the walk back to camp was silent, once again.

❝ sweetpaw! wingpaw! sweetpaw! ❞ hollyhockpaw beckoned, sprinting across camp to the apprentices den with his catch in his mouth. ❝ look, i caught my first mouse. and me and mothroar did battle training too. and he said i did excellent— ❞

he cut himself off. he didn't want to bore their ears off with his stories of the day. he quickly dropped the mouse in the fresh—kill pile, returning to the apprentices den moments later. he luckily escaped the rain that began drizzling down moments after he got into his nest.

hollyhockpaw expelled a long yawn, and he laughed lightly afterwards.

❝ no fair, ❞ sweetpaw murmured with a scowl, paws folded under her chest. ❝ me and gatorcricket just picked flowers for brindlefur. while you got to hunt and practice fighting?! ❞

sweetpaw threw a playful paw towards hollyhockpaw, and they turned to wingpaw to ask how his day was — but an eruption of snoring signalled he was out for the count. sweetpaw and hollyhockpaw grunted, quietly, not wanting to wake their younger friend who was tired from the day, before they too settled in to sleep.

( artwork by diino_rot ... just
testing something out with the
art to see how i vibe with pieces
on the pages ... if this is something
you'd like to see let me know ! )