Fernpaw sat patiently beside her denmates, but her fur was pricking with excitement. Their mentors faced them, on the opposite end of the hollow.

   "Now, you all need to learn the crouch," Kestrelwing meowed as she paced the length of the hollow. Marigoldshine, Scorchwind, Ferretfang, and Bluewillow sat behind her, all looking eager to begin. "You use the crouch in hunting and fighting, so it is the most important thing to learn quickly."

   Fernpaw saw Rabbitpaw's stumpy tail twitch. "Me and my brother were already taught the crouch. I've even caught prey before!"

   "Me too!" Locustpaw added.

   The senior warrior just shot them both a glare. "It won't hurt to practice!" She snapped, instantly silencing the two toms. "Now, I will place you in pairs. Rabbitpaw with Hawthornpaw, Locustpaw with Fernpaw, and Briarpaw, you can practice with Bluewillow."

   I'm with Locustpaw! She smiled warmly at her friend. Today couldn't possibly be better!

   The black tom padded over to her, his whiskers twitching. "Hey, partner," he purred teasingly. "You go first. I know the counter attack to the move you're going to work on."

   "And what move is that?"

   "The swat, Fernpaw," the white tabby glanced up at her mentor, who was sitting beside Kestrelwing. "First, get in your crouch, and begin circling with Locustpaw. Then, when you're ready, leap forward, swat at his muzzle or ears, and leap back out of range."

   Fernpaw nodded, and lowered her haunches closer to the ground. "Is this right?"

   Marigoldshine stood and sniffed her apprentice. "Put more weight on your hind legs, but don't squat. Keep your fore paws tucked in, and your tail still."

   The apprentice adjusted her stance. "Is this better?"

   Her mentor nodded, then retreated to Locustpaw's mentor's side. The black tom's tail was wiggling from excitement, and the two began to circle.

   Fernpaw was careful to keep her paws steady so that she wouldn't trip as they rotated. After a few heartbeats, she screeched, leaping at Locustpaw. The tom reared up on his hind legs just as she was a whisker away from him. Startled, she tried to run away, but the tom's fore paws came crashing down on her shoulders, causing her front legs to give out. She landed on the ground with a thump, Locustpaw on her back, pinning her down.

   "Now, Fernpaw, you've seen the countermove," Marigoldshine meowed slowly. "When he rears up, head butt him in the belly, the slide out of the way. When he falls, leap on his back and pin him down."

   The white tabby nodded, crouching again. She smirked. I'll get you this time, you slippery mouse!

After another few heartbeats of circling, Fernpaw leaped forward again. She watched Locustpaw's hind legs tense, ready to rear, and when he did, she didn't lose a beat. She dove forward and head butted him roughly in the belly. The tom grunted, and came crashing down. Fernpaw didn't waste a second and jumped on his back, holding his shoulders down with her fore paws and battering him her hind paws.

   "Oof! You got me!" Locustpaw mumbled, his muzzle pressed into the dirt. "Now let me up!"

   Fernpaw backed off, and Marigoldshine nodded. "That's was very good, Fernpaw," she praised. "Let's work on hunting now." The golden tabby she-cat dipped her head to Kestrelwing, then led her apprentice to the other side of the Training Hollow.

   She stopped at the base of an overhanging rock. "Now, you probably know that WindClan is known for our unmatched speed." Fernpaw nodded. "Well, while that skill is useful in battle, it is most needed to chase rabbits and hared across the open moor. Now, how do you think you should hunt a rabbit?"

   Fernpaw gave it some thought. "You should probably creep up on it until you're close enough to pounce."

   "That might work in a forest with dense undergrowth, but there's no cover on the moors. To catch a rabbit, you must get into a crouch, then spring forward. It's best to keep your steps light and swift so that the prey cannot hear you. Come in from downwind, and leap onto the rabbit."

   The apprentice nodded eagerly. "Let's try!" Her mentor nodded and led her out of the hollow. Marigoldshine sat on the stone that they had been talking under, and wrapped her tail around her paws.

   "What can you smell, Fernpaw?"

   The white tabby parted her jaws to scent the air. "Heather, and the hot grass... I can smell the breeze coming off of the lake and... rabbit! There's a rabbit at the base of that hill!" She pointed with her tail to the short slope.

   Marigoldshine nodded. "Very good. Now, stalk it until you get to where you can see it. When it's in your line of vision, race forward and kill it."

   Fernpaw took a deep breath, dropped into a crouch, and crept forward. Her tail lashed eagerly from side to side as she slithered up the slope, quiet as a mouse. When she reached the tom, she saw a large, white rabbit at the base of the hill. Yes! That'll feed every elder!

   Quietly, she began to creep towards the rabbit, but it's ears shot up. Fernpaw's heart rate sped up as the rabbit turned its head to look at her. It's eyes widened, and it let out a terrified squeak before dashing away. Fernpaw thundered after it, but it was no use. She dug her heels into the ground, bringing herself to an abrupt halt.

   Hare-dung! She cursed. At that same moment, a blur of golden fur flew past her. She watched, eyes wide with awe as her mentor gained on the rabbit, her ears erect and her long legs stretching to their limit. The white rabbit glanced over its shoulder, and wailed with fear and shock as Marigoldshine snapped it neck with a single blow.

   "Woah!" Fernpaw breathed when her mentor reached her, the massive rabbit dragging in the grass. "That was incredible! How did you run so fast!?"

   Marigoldshine flicked her tail tip dismissively, dropping the prey. "I have lots of experience. Now, let's take this down to the hollow so that it won't attract predators."

   However, Fernpaw has scented something else. "There's a hare!" She muttered. "I'm going to catch it!"

   Marigoldshine nodded, padding down the slope with her rabbit. I'm going to catch this one, Fernpaw vowed silently. Her ears were pricked, and she made out the sound of something sniffing at the dusty ground. There, a few fox-lengths away, was the biggest hare Fernpaw had ever seen. Great StarClan! It's even bigger than the last one!

Checking the she was downwind, she raced straight for the hare. Her paws glided over the grass, hardly making a sound. One fox-length... a tail-length... a mouse-length! She was a pawstep away from the hare when it suddenly noticed she was there. It bolted away, but Fernpaw wasn't giving up that easily. She chased her prey, determination surging through her pelt.

I'm gonna get it! It's slowing down! But just as she was about to leap, the hare dove down a burrow that Fernpaw hadn't seen before. She stumbled on it, yelping as her front paw twisted painfully. Fox-dung!

"Fernpaw!" She glanced up to see Locustpaw sand Marigoldshine standing over her. "Are you alright?"

"No," she grunted, attempting to pull her paw out. A sharp flash of pain made her eyes screw shut. "I twisted my paw trying to catch that hare! It hurts!"

Marigoldshine nodded to Locustpaw, and they padded to her sides. "We're going to pull you out," her mentor meowed confidently. "It'll hurt for a heartbeat, but then you'll be fine."

Fernpaw kept her eyes closed tightly as they counted down. "Three... two... one! Brace yourself!" Fernpaw screeched in pain as her paw was wrenched free. It hurt terribly, but the pain began to dull as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Can you walk on it?"

Fernpaw attempted to put weight on the paw, but she jumped back. "N-no, I can't. I think it's sprained."

Marigoldshine sighed. "Let's get you back to camp, then. Briarpaw and Bluewillow went back a while ago."

The white tabby limped on towards camp, anger and frustration making her pelt feel itchy. I should have caught that hare, not gotten a twisted paw!

She felt warm fur press against her sighed. "It'll be ok," Locustpaw murmured comfortingly in her ear. "I'll do camp duties with you tomorrow."

Fernpaw smiled. "Thank you. That means a lot."

The black tom smiled back. "That's what friends are for, right?"