Book: Ivyleaf's Destiny/Chapter 6

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*"We'll practise a half-turn belly* rake," Fernfall meowed. Ivypaw's eyes gleamed. *Battle training at last!* Darkpaw and Rushflame were practising on the other side of the clearing; Larkpaw had already gone off hunting.
Fernfall demonstrated the move. Whilst it was happening, it looked complicated by Ivypaw's mentor had told her it was easier than it looked. Still, Ivypaw was unable to master the move.
"I don't know where my opponent is or will be," Ivypaw complained after failing the fourth time. "If I'm this bad, they'll be able to anticipate the move and I'll just lose."
"That's why you need to practise so you aren't bad," Fernfall mewed gently. "Pretend I'm your opponent. Remember, I know what you're trying to do. Try to keep it as secret as possible."
Narrowing her eyes, Ivypaw tried to remember how her mentor had performed the move. Ducking under Fernfall's outstretched paws, she slipped underneath her belly and, claws sheather raked her underbelly. However, Ivypaw wasn't fast enough and when she tried to turn back onto all four paws she collapsed underneath Fernfall's weight.
Her mentor looked amused. "Nice try," she complimented, "but you weren't fast enough." *Obviously!* "This time, I'm going to try counteract your move. I am heavier than you, and I could squish you if I want."
"How about Ivypaw practise with Darkpaw?" Rushflame had come over to make this suggestion. "Darkpaw's dark too heavy on his paws, and Ivypaw's as light as a feather."
"Sure!" Ivypaw replied enthusiastically before Fernfall got a word in. Eyes shining, she turned to Darkpaw.
"You can't beat me," Darkpaw protested. "And you're not going to hurt me. You're my littermate."
Ivypaw bared her teeth. She ducked under Darkpaw. "Yeah right," she mewed sarcastically.
Raking her brother's belly with her claws sheathed, Ivypaw dived out from underneath him as Darkpaw dropped his weight down.
"My tail!" Ivypaw yelped. "You squashed my tail!"
Fernfall shook her head. "You're supposed to tuck *in* your tail."
"I forgot," Ivypaw murmured, still staring at Darkpaw with mischief glittering in her eyes. *I'll get you back*, she mouthed at him.
"Try again," Fernfall commanded.
Swift as a snake, Ivypaw didn't give her brother any time to think as she slid back underneath him again. This time, Darkpaw was quicker and managed to sit on her before Ivypaw could rake his belly. Ivypaw went limp, pretending to be defeated.
Suddenly, the weight shifted and Darkpaw was standing beside her. "I won!" he meowed triumphantly.
*No, you didn't!* Ivypaw launched herself at her littermate. Darkpaw backed away. As the young apprentice reached the black tom, she jumped high over him. Surprised, Darkpaw watched her soar through the air. This seemed natural to her.
Ivypaw landed lightly on all four paws and spun around menacingly to see Darkpaw, his eyes wide with shock. Ivypaw lashed out with both forepaws.
"I got you!" she declared.
"That's enough, Ivypaw," Fernfall told her sternly. "We're training, not fighting."
"How did you do that?" Darkpaw asked, eyes wide.
Ivypaw shuffled her paws. "What do you mean?"
"How did you jump over like that?"
"I just jumped," Ivypaw replied, confused. "Don't you know how to jump?"
"What Darkpaw means," Rushflame mewed gently, padding out from behind his apprentice, "is how do you know exactly how to time your jump and how can you leap so high over his head?"
"And the landing," Darkpaw added. "How do you land so lightly?"
"Cause I'm not a thundering badger like you!" Ivypaw playfully swotted her brother. He ducked too late.
"Hey!" Darkpaw protested. "That hurt!"
"Sorry," Ivypaw murmured, catching the warning glint in Fernfall's eye. "I don't know how I do it," she meowed, remembering Darkpaw's question. "I just… jump. Isn't it natural?"
Fernfall and Rushflame exchanged a quick glance. "No," Fernfall mewed.
*What? So I'm not just a normal cat?* Ivypaw longed to ask.
"That's awesome!" Darkpaw breathed. "I want to try!"
Rushflame lifted a paw and rubbed his nose. "It's nearly sunset. How about a little hunting practise then back to camp?"
Darkpaw's tail drooped. "Okay. But I wanted to get Ivypaw back."
"Get me back?" Ivypaw asked. "That was my revenge on *you*."
"Enough!" Rushflame told them sternly. "You can have competition between each other as long as you remember that you have to fit the *Clan's* needs first."
"Yes, Rushflame," Darkpaw mewed obediently.
Ivypaw followed Fernfall as she led the way out of the clearing.
"Ivypaw," she called. "I'd rather you stick to land-hunting today."
The apprentice gaped. "But I feel so much more comfortable in the air!" she protested.
"Let's see how you go on land," Fernfall mewed decisively.
"In the air? Do you know how to fly as well?" Darkpaw teased.
"I like to hunt above ground," Ivypaw mewed. "I prefer to jump around from tree to tree. On the ground I feel so… trapped. I don't want to run into a tree!"
As she said that, Darkpaw stumbled over his big paws and crashed headlong into the birch up ahead. Ivypaw stifled a *mrrow* of laughter.
"I told you it's easier up there!" she teased, flicking her muzzle to the treetops.
"Stick to land hunting," Fernfall's mew sounded from up ahead. "You can hunt on your own while I do the same. Darkpaw, you'd better do what Rushflame tells you."
"Yes, Fernfall," Darkpaw meowed meekly. He padded back to his mentor.
Ivypaw opened her mouth wide. *Mouse!*
She carefully tracked down the brown creature. She parted a few ferns to see it sleeping. Pleased at the easy kill, she swiped her claw across its neck. A gasp sounded as the creature made its final breath. Gingerly picking up the prey, Ivypaw spotted a hole behind the mouse. She cautiously sniffed. *Rabbit scent? Rabbits are found in WeedClan territory, and that's a long way away!*
Scraping earth over her mouse, Ivypaw trudged through the ferns until she found a larger opening. *It's still land hunting*, Ivypaw thought as she dived into the hole. Rabbit scent choked her. *It doesn't smell like ThornClan territory*.
A white bob flashed in front of her. *Rabbit!* Ivypaw lightly stalked forward. The rabbit, alarmed, heard her and raced away.
"Mouse dung!" Ivypaw cursed as she gathered speed to try and chase the creature. There were tunnels everywhere, but Ivypaw didn't stop. *I hope I can find my way back.* Leaping, she landed on the rabbit's tail and reached out a forepaw to make the killing blow. It struck hard, and the creature fell limp.
*Oh no, how do I bring this back?* Ivypaw picked up the rabbit and sniffed around the tunnels. She smelled her scent coming from one of the tunnels. *I must have come this way!* She continued sniffing her trail and padded in the direction her scent came from. At last she viewed an opening.
*I've made it!* Ivypaw dragged out the rabbit. Sunlight glared at her. In alarm, she dropped the rabbit and it fell down to the tunnels. She cautiously clawed her way up the rocky, uneven face of the hole. The ground beneath her paws felt wet and soggy.
*Am I on RippleClan territory?*
The willow leaves in front of her rustled and a cat stepped out.
"Great StarClan!" he mewed.
Ivypaw's eyes stretched wide. "Who are you?" she whispered.
"The question is, who are you?" The cat narrowed his eyes. "And what are you doing on RippleClan territory?"
*I* am *on RippleClan territory! Oops.*
"I didn't know," Ivypaw mewed guiltily, shifting her paws. "I was just chasing a rabbit."
"Rabbit? On ThornClan territory?"
"Yes," Ivypaw replied. "I'll leave now. I should be getting back home, anyway."
"What's your name?" the cat asked.
"Ivypaw," she answered.
"'*paw*? You're still an apprentice?"
"Yes." Ivypaw was bewildered. Did this cat have bees in his brain?
"You're just as big as me, and fast if you can chase a rabbit," the cat commented. "You should be a warrior!"
"Are you?" Ivypaw blinked.
"Of course! My name's Splashstream."
"You seem very small for a warrior," Ivypaw mewed.
He snorted. "I was made a warrior two moons before last. Now you'd better go before the rest of my patrol finds you."
Ivypaw obediently ducked away behind the willow leaves that shielded the hole. *StarClan, don't let him follow me!* Ivypaw rolled in the soil in the tunnel to disguise the scent of RippleClan flowing from her pelt.
Picking up the rabbit, she retraced her steps. Now the tunnel was dark and it was getting hard to find her way back. But eventually she found her way although the entrance of the tunnel wasn't as bright as it was when she went in.
"There you are!" Darkpaw's mew sounded. "Hurry up! Fernfall's just got back and was wondering where you were."
Ivypaw hauled her rabbit out of the ferns and unearthed her mouse just as her mentor padded up.
"A mouse *and* a rabbit?" she mewed disbelievingly.
"They don't live in trees," Ivypaw answered innocently.
"Good," Fernfall mewed. "Darkpaw can help you carry it back. Rushflame's gone on ahead."
Ivypaw nodded and picked up the mouse under her chin. She picked up the rabbit's scruff in her jaws and Darkpaw picked up its hindleg. *So he didn't catch anything*, Ivypaw thought. *Well, it was his first time.*
Chapter 7 —>