Bluestar's Prophecy

Pausing to think her move through, Bluepaw squatted down. Focusing on how she would land, she ducked forward, turned like a snake, and twisted, raking her hind claws against the belly of an imaginary warrior before flipping back onto her paws.

“Did you get that?” she asked Lionpaw.

But Lionpaw had already darted forward. He turned, snapping back on himself too quickly so that when he tried to twist, Bluepaw could tell he’d lost his balance. His hind legs flew into the air, flailing like reeds in the wind, and he collapsed onto his flank. “Mouse dung!”

Swiftbreeze picked up Lionpaw by his scruff and dropped him onto his paws. “Where do you think you went wrong?”

“I twisted too early?”

“And…?”

“And?” Lionpaw echoed, frowning.

Swiftbreeze switched her gaze to Bluepaw. “What did you do before you tried the move?”

Bluepaw wasn’t sure what she meant. “I crouched down.”

“What were you doing while you were crouching?” Swiftbreeze pressed.

Bluepaw tried to remember. The move was so familiar that she didn’t really think about what she was doing.

Then she realized that, in fact, she did think about what she was doing. “I imagined my body making the move. Where I would finish, how I would move to get there.”

“Precisely,” Swiftbreeze purred. “Does that make sense, Lionpaw?”

Lionpaw was already crouching, ready to repeat the move, but this time a look of concentration darkened his gaze. He hesitated just a moment longer, then lunged, turned, twisted, raked, and landed on his paws.

“I did it!” His mew was triumphant.

“Very good.”

“Can I try?” Goldenpaw was padding toward them.

“Do you want Bluepaw to show you again?”

Goldenpaw shook her head. “I think I got it.” She crouched. “But I have to imagine the move first, right?”

“Right.”

Bluepaw tensed, willing her to get it right the first time. Goldenpaw hesitated, then hesitated some more.

“Come on,” Swiftbreeze urged.

Goldenpaw looked up at her. “But you said think before you move.”

“Not exactly. Imagine the move, then do it,” Swiftbreeze instructed. “But don’t waste half the battle planning it in your head.”

“Okay.” Goldenpaw looked straight ahead, then leaped forward.

Her turn and twist were good, but Bluepaw could see that she didn’t have the same strength in her hind legs as Lionpaw.

“Not bad,” Swiftbreeze commented. “Your timing is great.”

Lionpaw pushed in front of his littermate. “Can I try it on Bluepaw?”

Swiftbreeze nodded. “Good idea.”

Bluepaw took a few paces backward, preparing for Lionpaw’s attack. When she faced him, she realized how broad his shoulders had grown. He was going to be a powerful warrior. She braced herself as he rushed toward her and let him slip around behind her, do the snake-turn, then twist under her belly. He tried to rake her with his hind paws but she leaped up, out of the way, before they could touch her fur. She was only just in time. He was fast, considering his size and inexperience, and she landed panting on the ground, relieved she’d dodged his powerful paws.

Sunfall padded to join them. “You learn quickly, Lionpaw.” He turned to Goldenpaw. “I think you’re just too worried about getting it right.”

Goldenpaw’s eyes grew round. “But I want to be the best fighter I can be!”

“Try relying more on your instinct.”

Goldenpaw frowned. “You mean I shouldn’t do the moves I’ve been taught.”

“Not exactly.” Sunfall tried to explain. “I think you might be a better fighter if you use what you feel alongside what you’ve learned.”

Bluepaw understood what he was trying to tell the apprentice. Rules were sometimes too restrictive. She thought of the adjustments she had made to the moves Sunfall had taught her, to accommodate her short legs. “Why doesn’t Goldenpaw try attacking me,” she suggested, “as though I were an enemy warrior?”

“Good idea,” Sunfall meowed approvingly. “Do you think you could try that?” he asked Goldenpaw.

Hesitantly she nodded.

Bluepaw padded a tail-length away and turned, scowling her fiercest scowl. “Imagine I’m a ShadowClan warrior threatening the nursery,” she growled.

Goldenpaw dropped into a crouch. Her eyes darkened and she drew her lips back in a snarl. Bluepaw was impressed. The young apprentice actually looked dangerous.

Goldenpaw rushed at her without hesitation. She was so quick that Bluepaw hardly had time to dart out of the way or plan her defensive moves. Before she figured out where Goldenpaw was going to attack, the apprentice was gripping her back, scrabbling at her spine with vicious hind paws. Instinctively Bluepaw pressed hard against the ground, then surged up and threw Goldenpaw off. She turned and lunged at the ginger tabby, rolling her onto her flank with a well-aimed paw and raking her claws past her ear.

Goldenpaw shrieked in surprise and scrambled away. Bluepaw froze. She smelled blood and saw with horror the nick she had made in Goldenpaw’s ear.

“I’m so sorry!” She hadn’t meant to hurt the young apprentice.

But Goldenpaw’s eyes were shining. “That was great!” she mewed. “Can we try it again?”