Yellowfang’s Secret

Rowanpaw nodded, though Yellowpaw noticed that the claw marks weren’t bleeding anymore, and her sister hardly limped at all as they headed back toward camp. While Rowanpaw padded off to the medicine cat’s den, the rest of the apprentices and their mentors gathered around the fresh-kill pile.

“Yellowpaw, do you think you should see Sagewhisker too?” Deerleap prompted.

“No, I’m fine,” Yellowpaw mumbled through a mouthful of the squirrel she was sharing with Nutpaw.

Deerleap looked doubtful. “You’d better take the rest of the day off,” she mewed, giving Yellowpaw’s shoulder a sniff. “I can’t see any injury, but you never know. Get some rest, and see Sagewhisker if the pain doesn’t clear up.” She turned away to choose some prey for herself.

Yellowpaw didn’t want to rest. I feel okay now, she thought. Maybe I just landed badly.

When she had finished her share of the squirrel, she decided she would go off by herself to practice the new move. She still wasn’t used to being able to leave the camp on her own and she felt a thrill of confidence as she strode out through the thorns. When she had found a secluded spot in a hollow screened by holly bushes, she tried the move again: first the leap, and then rolling over to splay out her paws, ready to grab her opponent.

It doesn’t work so well with only one, she thought, disappointed.

“Do you want any help?”

The voice startled Yellowpaw; she looked up to see Raggedpaw standing at the top of the hollow. “No, I’m fine,” she mewed, scuffling her forepaws in the earth.

Ignoring her refusal, Raggedpaw padded down to join her. “You really need a partner to do that move,” he meowed.

Yellowpaw gave her fur a shake. I’d be mouse-brained not to let him help me. “Okay,” she agreed. Won’t Deerleap be surprised when she sees I can do the move perfectly!

Raggedpaw gave her a brisk nod. “I’ll leap and you grab,” he told her. “That way, you get to practice the difficult part.”

At first, Yellowpaw was afraid that she was going to be squashed into the forest floor by the heavier apprentice. “I can’t get my paws in place fast enough,” she complained, sitting up and shaking scraps of dead leaf off her fur.

“You have to watch me more closely,” Raggedpaw replied. “You should know when the leap is coming, and be ready. Try again.”

This time, Yellowpaw spotted the tensing of Raggedpaw’s muscles before he leaped. She rolled onto her back and spread her paws wide. “Got you!” she yowled as she wrapped her paws around him and flipped him over.

Raggedpaw scrambled to his paws and gave her a cool nod. “Better.”

Better? Yellowpaw thought indignantly. It was brilliant!

“You’ll be able to do it next time you’re in a training session,” Raggedpaw went on. “Now I’ve got to go. I want to hunt before it gets dark.”

“Thank you!” Yellowpaw called after him as he climbed back out of the hollow. “You really helped!”

Raggedpaw didn’t respond. Yellowpaw stood blinking after him, surprised by her feelings of gratitude. Maybe he’s not so bad after all.

Chapter 6

The early morning sunlight sparkled on the dewy grass and on the cobwebs draped across bushes and clumps of bracken. Yellowpaw paused to taste the air. The scent of damp earth flooded her jaws, with a trace of fresh green growth.

Newleaf will be here soon.

Yellowpaw and her littermates were following Deerleap, on their way out of camp for a training session. As she leaped over a broken branch, she spotted a hint of green. She turned back, pushing the branch aside, and discovered a few delicate shoots poking up through the covering of rotting leaves. Very gently Yellowpaw scraped away the debris, giving the shoots a chance to reach the sun. Bending down to give them a good sniff, she thought, I’m sure I’ve smelled this in Sagewhisker’s den before. It must be an herb.

As she straightened up, she heard yowls of excitement, and the two newest apprentices, Foxpaw and Wolfpaw, hurled themselves over the branch. Yellowpaw leaped backward to avoid being knocked over. Two sets of flying paws stomped down hard on the tiny shoots, crushing them into the earth.

“Mouse-brains!” Yellowpaw called after them, her fur bristling in fury. “Watch where you’re going!”

Brightflower, Foxpaw’s mentor, and Blizzardwing, who was mentoring Wolfpaw, followed their apprentices more slowly. Brightflower gave Yellowpaw an inquiring look as she passed, but Yellowpaw just shrugged and brought up the rear.

The rest of the apprentices and their mentors had gathered in a clearing not far from the marshes. Wolfpaw and Foxpaw were charging around the edge, shouldering aside Nutpaw and Rowanpaw if they happened to get in the way.