Book: Ivyleaf's Destiny/Chapter 3

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*"Let all those cats old enough* to hunt their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting!" Rainstar yowled.
Within the past six moons, a lot had happened. Birdkit and Larkkit had become apprentices, Birdpaw and Larkpaw, mentored by Owlfeather and Wildfire. They were the only cats in the apprentices' den, after Dawnpaw and Stormpaw had had their warrior ceremony becoming Dawnwing and Stormwing. Barkfern had kitted her first litter, and Hollykit and Oatkit continually got in every cat's way.
Five moons ago, Leafcloud, after catching Lilykit's greencough, had died, joining the young tortoiseshell kit. Luckily, no one was affected aside from Lichenfern, and the medicine cat died leaving Honeycloud as ThornClan's official medicine cat. Two moons ago, Cloudsplash gave birth to Fallkit, Branchkit and Marshkit but died in the process, leaving the three kits and Foxwhisker, their father, alone. The kits fed on mouse and vole and shrew from a young age.
The ThornClan leader Petalstar also died whilst saving a ShrubClan kit, Featherkit, on the Thunderpath. Unknown to Rainstar, that was the leader's last life.
Now Rainstar stood on the Stonepile, addressing her Clan. Owlfeather stood beside her. *Our mother's the leader and our father's the deputy!* Ivykit itched with excitement: it was her apprentice ceremony.
"Today is a special day for to of our young kits<" Rainstar mewed. *It should be three*, Ivykit thought regretfully. *Lilykit, are you there? Are you watching us?* "Darkkit and Ivykit, come forward."
Darkkit enthusiastically bounded forward. Ivykit followed more sedately flicking her brother's ear with her tail as she reached him.
"Darkkit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name you shall be known as Darkpaw," Rainstar mewed, reciting the ancient words of the apprentice ceremony. "Rushflame, you will be his mentor." The dark gray warrior stepped forward and touched noses with his new apprentice.
"Darkpaw! Darkpaw!" the Clan called. Ivykit joined in, her green eyes gleaming as her brother received his apprentice name.
"Ivykit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name you shall be known as Ivypaw." *Ivypaw*, the young cat thought. *I'm a ThornClan apprentice. I'm Ivypaw!* "Your mentor will be Fernfall."
The dark tortoiseshell stepped forward and touched her nose to Ivypaw's. "Work hard, and I will train you well."
"Ivypaw! Ivypaw!" The new apprentice spotted Owlfeather and Darkpaw yowling her name to the sky. *They're telling Lilykit*. Grief stabbed her as she recalled her young littermate, dead at a moon old. *She should be Lilypaw. I wonder who would be her mentor*.
Ivypaw looked up towards the sky. *Lilykit, if you can hear me, I promise that I'll train hard. I'll do my best and become the best ThornClan warrior any of the Clans have ever seen! You should be here with me*.
"Come on, Ivypaw." Fernfall nudged her apprentice. "We're going to explore the territory!"
"Really?" Ivypaw's eyes brightened. "Can Darkpaw come too?"
Fernfall sighed. "Ivypaw, you must remember that even though you and Darkpaw are littermates, you can't do everything together."
"That's right," Rushflame sounded behind her. "Darkpaw's going to clear the nursery."
"What?" Ivypaw's brother sounded dismayed. "I've just come out of there!"
Ivypaw suppressed a *mrrow* of laughter as she watched her brother trudging behind Rushflame.
"Let's go," Fernfall mewed. "If we have time, I'll teach you how to hunt."
Ivypaw hastily followed her mentor out of the camp, casting an apologetic glance at Darkpaw on the way.

"Can you tell me who's scent markers are these?" Fernfall questioned her apprentice.
Ivypaw took a deep sniff. "It smells like the river," she declared. "So it must be RippleClan."
"Well done!" Fernfall congratulated.
"Why do RippleClan like the river so much?" Ivypaw asked.
"StarClan knows," her mentor replied. "Thank StarClan I'm not a RippleClan cat." Fernfall waved her tail towards the stones. "Those are the Splashing Stones. ThornClan and RippleClan have fought over these stones for many moons."
"Then why are the RippleClan scent markers here?" Ivypaw pressed.
"It was ours at the beginning of leaf-bare," Fernfall replied. "But RippleClan took it with force. And Petalstar decided it wasn't worth shedding blood over these stones while our warriors were still struggling to find prey."
"Is Rainstar going to take it back?"
"Only she knows," her mentor muttered. The tortoiseshell waved her tail way from the stones, closer to the edge of ThornClan territory. "That's where the High Rocks are. And where the Stone Cave is."
"Will I get to go there?" Ivypaw stood looking, amazed, at the large stretch of land.
Fernfall purred. "Of course. The next Gathering's in a few sunrises. As for now," the older cat continued, "you can learn the ThornClan hunter's crouch."
Ivypaw bounced enthusiastically. "Great!"
"First thing you need to learn," Fernfall mewed with an amused eye-roll, "is to not scare away any prey. Be patient. Keep calm."
"Sorry," the apprentice muttered.
"Let me show you the crouch. You can copy me."
Fernfall dropped to her paws, keeping her hindpaws firmly tucked in and bunching her hindquarters so she was ready to pounce. Ivypaw copied every slight movement she made. *I'm going to be the best hunter ThornClan has ever seen!* Ivypaw vowed.
"Not bad." Fernfall nodded approvingly. "Now, practise the pounce. You need to make sure—"
All too eagerly, Ivypaw launched herself forward and dashed headlong through the ferns. She clumsily tripped over her paws and crashed headlong into a large sturdy oak tree.
"Mouse dung!" she cursed.
Fernfall padded out from behind her. "I warned you to be patient."
Ivypaw rolled her eyes unseen by her mentor and dropped back into the hunter's crouch.
"Now," Fernfall meowed. "This time you'd better remember to take your time. Prey isn't going to tun away until it sees you, hears you or scents you. What do you need to make sure of?"
"Er… stay upwind?" Ivypaw suggested. "That way, the prey can't scent me."
"Good," Fernfall praised. "What else?"
"Prey is short-sighted," Ivypaw mewed cheekily, "so I just need to make sure I pounce when I get close enough so it doesn't get to see me."
"And?"
Ivypaw narrowed her eyes. "Don't take too long," she mewed. "Don't overthink things."
"Right. Now try scenting some prey."
The young cat opened her tiny jaws wide and tried to trace the slightest bit of prey. She pricked her ears.
Ferns rustled behind her. Cautiously, she turned and spotted a plump grey squirrel uncovering a hoard of nuts. Pawstep by pawstep, the young apprentice stalked her way forward. The squirrel picked up a nut and slowly crawled away. Breathlessly, Ivypaw pounced.
"Mouse dung!" she cursed as her forepaw slammed down on bare ground. Not to be outdone by a squirrel, she chased the large creature. Hearing her meow, the squirrel dashed up a tree. Without thinking, Ivypaw jumped up to the lowest branch and leaped her way upward.
"Ivypaw!" Fernfall's urgent mew sounded from below. "Ivypaw, come back down!"
The young cat hissed as the squirrel leaped to the next tree. Ivypaw jumped after it. *I'm going to catch this squirrel!* The squirrel jumped between treetops as if it had wings, and Ivypaw cautiously followed.
"Ivypaw!"
The apprentice ignored her mentor and continued chasing the squirrel. She was gaining speed every jump. *One more pounce*, Ivypaw thought. Without hesitation, she sprang forward onto the branch the squirrel was on. She lay a paw on the squirrel's neck and bit into the soft flesh. *I caught it!* Pride filled the young cat and she leaped down from the tree. The squirrel fell down after her, and she had to jump out of the way so she wouldn't be squashed.
"Ivypaw!" Fernfall cried urgently. "Are you hurt?"
Ivypaw struggled to turn around. *I didn't know squirrels were* this *heavy*, she thought.
Fernfall gasped when she saw the size of the prey. "It's almost as big as you!"
"I guess I grow faster than the squirrel," Ivypaw replied modestly. She blinked up at her mentor. "That was fun! Can I do it again?"
Fernfall purred. "Maybe stick with land-hunting first. For now, we'd better get this back to camp.
Ivypaw nodded and began to haul the creature in the direction of the camp. She had barely gone a few pawsteps when she tripped over the squirrel's bushy tail.
"Ooof!" she exclaimed, pain going through her muzzle as it bumped against some thorns. "Ow!"
The young cat pulled the thorn from her nose with her forepaw. "Now it's stuck in my pad!" she complained.
Fernfall watched, amused. "Go on ahead," she offered. "Find Honeycloud. I'll bring this back to camp."
"Will you be alright?" Ivypaw asked, genuinely concerned.
"Not that you could do much to help me," Fernfall purred. "The most you'll do is go fore help! Go on," she added seeing the dismayed look on her apprentice's face. "I'll be alright."
Nodding briefly, Ivypaw scampered back to the camp. *I caught a squirrel on my first day out of camp! What will Rainstar and Owlfeather say? And Darkpaw?*
Chapter 4 —>