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Description
Fun? Perhaps Dreamheart thought being crushed by older cats was fun, but Frozenpaw didn't fancy it.
The training turned out to be a miniature battle, Frozenpaw and Skypaw against Fogpaw and a black and silver cat that Frozenpaw didn't recognize.
Skypaw and Fogpaw were, of course, fairly evenly matched. The brothers circled each other, their tails lashing and fur rising identically. Once in awhile they'd roll on the ground to wrestle, Fogpaw on top one moment, and Skypaw winning the next.
"Come on, Frozenpaw! Use those hind legs! That's where your strength is!" Icedrop yowled enthusiastically from the sidelines.
Frozenpaw, being pinned down by the black and silver she-cat, pummeled her older opponent's belly with her hind legs. Suddenly the cat's weight vanished as she stepped back, squealing furiously.
"She clawed me!" cried the cat, and Frozenpaw wondered if it was possible for a cat to blow up when angry. This she-cat looked pretty close.
Icedrop rolled her eyes and came trotting in to the battle area.
"Nice job, Frozenpaw! Come here, Minnowpaw. Let me take a look at that belly." Icedrop inspected Minnowpaw, then snorted. "She didn't even break the skin!" The white mentor sounded disappointed. "Scratch harder next time, Frozenpaw."
Frozenpaw was taken aback. The warrior wanted her to harm another apprentice? Even if she wanted to, she didn't think she could. Minnowpaw was easily two mouse-lengths taller than her, if not more than that.
"She's joking, you know," purred a voice. Frozenpaw looked around, but none of the other cats had spoken. Was she hearing things?
Minnowpaw's eyes were narrowed, her ears laid back. Icedrop was smiling and Skypaw was nodding approvingly. Fogpaw's face was unreadable, though it was clear that he, as well as the others, had not spoken.
I'm only six moons old, thought Frozenpaw, and I'm already going mad!
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Back in camp, Frozenpaw was gnawing hungrily on a mouse, while Snakepaw and Berrypaw, the black tom that she had seen the night before, were sharing a fish. Minnowpaw walked past them, her fur bristling.
"Hello, Minnowpaw!" called out Berrypaw, his mouth full. He got no reply.
Snakepaw purred in amusement.
"What did you do to her, Frozenpaw?" she asked, sounding impressed. "Even I can't get her to stop flirting with any tomcat."
"It's true," said the black tom, taking another bite.
Frozenpaw shrugged, chewing thoughtfully. She hadn't meant to hurt Minnowpaw, but she was supposed to fight during battle training, right? She didn't let it bother her too much. At least the mysterious voice was gone!
"Hey, guys!"
All three apprentices jumped as Dreamheart called out to them. He certaintly had a habit of sneaking up on others, Frozenpaw thought.
"Squirrelstar wants Frozenpaw and Snakepaw to come to the gathering tonight," purred the gray cat. "Icedrop says you did a great job fighting today, Frozenpaw, and that Snakepaw had a hard day of treating Cloudeyes's ticks.
Snakepaw nodded solemly.
"It's a miracle I could get the mouse bile off."
Soon the deputy and the three apprentices were laughing hard.
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"Okay, Frozenpaw," whispered Snakepaw in her ear. "The leaders sit up there. The calico is Ashstar, the black tom is Nightstar, the pale cream tabby is Shellstar, and Hawkstar's the brown one."
Frozenpaw looked all around her. The gathering place was huge! The grass was soft and green, and several cats were crowded around. In the center of the gathering place was a huge tree that had branches that stretched into the sky. The five leaders of the five clans were on some of the lower branches.
"It's time to begin the gathering," said the most familiar leader, Squirrelstar. "Who would like to begin?"
"I would, if you don't mind," mewed a timid looking cream tabby she-cat.
"Shellstar?" Frozenpaw whispered to Snakepaw, and her friend nodded.
"We have two new warriors," continued the cat. "Shadowbird and Lightpool."
Yowls exploaded around them, and then again minutes later when Squirrelstar announced Orangeblaze's warrior name. The big orange tomcat puffed out his chest and sat up tall, looking proud.
Squirrelstar and Shellstar had nothing else to report. Hawkstar, a young brown tabby tom, reported that newleaf had brought rich prey to his clan, Forrestclan. Ashstar said that twoleg kits had been spotted in Beachclan, but they were no threat.
The final cat, a huge black tom with amber eyes, came forward.
"Darkclan is doing well despite all the traitors living in the forest," he began. A few cats gasped in surprise, but most were still quiet. Though Nightstar's words were harsh, his voice was rich and smooth as honey.
"Rainclan," he growled. "Rainclan are fat although leafbare has only just ended, and have you seen how many apprentices they have in training?"
Squirrelstar cast a puzzled glance at Dreamheart, and he shook his head confusedly.
"Rainclan have stolen prey and kits from us all!"

Description
Fun? Perhaps Dreamheart thought being crushed by older cats was fun, but Frozenpaw didn't fancy it.
The training turned out to be a miniature battle, Frozenpaw and Skypaw against Fogpaw and a black and silver cat that Frozenpaw didn't recognize.
Skypaw and Fogpaw were, of course, fairly evenly matched. The brothers circled each other, their tails lashing and fur rising identically. Once in awhile they'd roll on the ground to wrestle, Fogpaw on top one moment, and Skypaw winning the next.
"Come on, Frozenpaw! Use those hind legs! That's where your strength is!" Icedrop yowled enthusiastically from the sidelines.
Frozenpaw, being pinned down by the black and silver she-cat, pummeled her older opponent's belly with her hind legs. Suddenly the cat's weight vanished as she stepped back, squealing furiously.
"She clawed me!" cried the cat, and Frozenpaw wondered if it was possible for a cat to blow up when angry. This she-cat looked pretty close.
Icedrop rolled her eyes and came trotting in to the battle area.
"Nice job, Frozenpaw! Come here, Minnowpaw. Let me take a look at that belly." Icedrop inspected Minnowpaw, then snorted. "She didn't even break the skin!" The white mentor sounded disappointed. "Scratch harder next time, Frozenpaw."
Frozenpaw was taken aback. The warrior wanted her to harm another apprentice? Even if she wanted to, she didn't think she could. Minnowpaw was easily two mouse-lengths taller than her, if not more than that.
"She's joking, you know," purred a voice. Frozenpaw looked around, but none of the other cats had spoken. Was she hearing things?
Minnowpaw's eyes were narrowed, her ears laid back. Icedrop was smiling and Skypaw was nodding approvingly. Fogpaw's face was unreadable, though it was clear that he, as well as the others, had not spoken.
I'm only six moons old, thought Frozenpaw, and I'm already going mad!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in camp, Frozenpaw was gnawing hungrily on a mouse, while Snakepaw and Berrypaw, the black tom that she had seen the night before, were sharing a fish. Minnowpaw walked past them, her fur bristling.
"Hello, Minnowpaw!" called out Berrypaw, his mouth full. He got no reply.
Snakepaw purred in amusement.
"What did you do to her, Frozenpaw?" she asked, sounding impressed. "Even I can't get her to stop flirting with any tomcat."
"It's true," said the black tom, taking another bite.
Frozenpaw shrugged, chewing thoughtfully. She hadn't meant to hurt Minnowpaw, but she was supposed to fight during battle training, right? She didn't let it bother her too much. At least the mysterious voice was gone!
"Hey, guys!"
All three apprentices jumped as Dreamheart called out to them. He certaintly had a habit of sneaking up on others, Frozenpaw thought.
"Squirrelstar wants Frozenpaw and Snakepaw to come to the gathering tonight," purred the gray cat. "Icedrop says you did a great job fighting today, Frozenpaw, and that Snakepaw had a hard day of treating Cloudeyes's ticks.
Snakepaw nodded solemly.
"It's a miracle I could get the mouse bile off."
Soon the deputy and the three apprentices were laughing hard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Okay, Frozenpaw," whispered Snakepaw in her ear. "The leaders sit up there. The calico is Ashstar, the black tom is Nightstar, the pale cream tabby is Shellstar, and Hawkstar's the brown one."
Frozenpaw looked all around her. The gathering place was huge! The grass was soft and green, and several cats were crowded around. In the center of the gathering place was a huge tree that had branches that stretched into the sky. The five leaders of the five clans were on some of the lower branches.
"It's time to begin the gathering," said the most familiar leader, Squirrelstar. "Who would like to begin?"
"I would, if you don't mind," mewed a timid looking cream tabby she-cat.
"Shellstar?" Frozenpaw whispered to Snakepaw, and her friend nodded.
"We have two new warriors," continued the cat. "Shadowbird and Lightpool."
Yowls exploaded around them, and then again minutes later when Squirrelstar announced Orangeblaze's warrior name. The big orange tomcat puffed out his chest and sat up tall, looking proud.
Squirrelstar and Shellstar had nothing else to report. Hawkstar, a young brown tabby tom, reported that newleaf had brought rich prey to his clan, Forrestclan. Ashstar said that twoleg kits had been spotted in Beachclan, but they were no threat.
The final cat, a huge black tom with amber eyes, came forward.
"Darkclan is doing well despite all the traitors living in the forest," he began. A few cats gasped in surprise, but most were still quiet. Though Nightstar's words were harsh, his voice was rich and smooth as honey.
"Rainclan," he growled. "Rainclan are fat although leafbare has only just ended, and have you seen how many apprentices they have in training?"
Squirrelstar cast a puzzled glance at Dreamheart, and he shook his head confusedly.
"Rainclan have stolen prey and kits from us all!"