Eclipsepaw's Destiny: Chapter 2

Four moons had passed since Eclipsepaw's dream of meeting Hawkfrost in the Dark Forest. She was now a beginning apprentice, with the mentor of Squirrelflight. Most of her denmates had been made apprentices too, Stonepaw, Whitepaw, and Crowpaw. Mosskit was still four moons, and Ivypaw had recently had two she-kits, though no one knew who the father was, but she wasn't punished as harshly for having kits as an apprentice because her warrior ceremony was in a moon. Stonepaw's mentor was Dustpelt. Whitepaw's was Spiderleg and Crowpaw's was Rosepetal.

"time for training!" Squirrelflight's voice rang through the apprentice's den.

"just a bit longer....?" Eclipsepaw grumbled, turning away from the light of the entrance. Stonepaw just mumbled in agreement. Squirrelflight looked surprised, as if she'd never seen an apprentice tired.

"no! Brackenfur said he'd make all of you pick the elder's ticks every day for a moon. Who wants that?" she mewed. Brackenfur was Redpaw's apprentice, the son of Firestar and Sandstorm. Eclipsepaw and a few others immediately jumped to their paws and shook the moss off their pelts. Dustpelt and Graystripe came to collect their apprentices. All eight of them stumbled lazily out of the den and searched for their mentors.

"what are we learning today?" Eclipsepaw mewed, adding a yawn at the end.

"I figured I'd teach you your first battle move," Squirrelfight answered, her tail flicked.

"lucky...Berrynose is only taking me on a border patrol..." Lionpaw growled. Redpaw's sister was obviously jealous she wouldn't learn anymore battle-training today, even though she'd been an apprentice for two moons.

"hey, you might actually get in a fight, who knows?" Eclipsepaw mewed. She followed Squirrelflight, Brackenfur and Rosepetal to the Clearing where apprentices trained. She felt like she was flying through the forest, and she felt the need to run through the wind.

right...I'm related to Crowfeather....Maybe that's why cats tell me I look to sleek to be ThunderClan...and of course why I love the wind... Eclipsepaw thought negatively. She burst out into the clearing and waited to hear what the mentors had to say.

"I think we should have all three of them fight-claws sheathed-and see who wins. Then we'll split up and train," Brackenfur ordered, being the oldest and most experienced warrior out of the three mentors.

"sounds good!" Rosepetal mewed cheerily. Squirrelflight just nodded.

just listen to what I say, and you can win this... Hawkfrost's voice came back to Eclipsepaw for the first time in four moons. Her head perked up with happiness at the sound of her other mentor's voice.

''I'm special...I'm being trained in the Dark Forest! No other ThunderClan apprentice is! At least I don't think so...if they are, then they don't have a great destiny like me!'' Eclipsepaw thought. She crouched into a fighting position, and slid her claws out just a little, so that the others couldn't see them between the tufts of fur.

I can win this!

"begin!" Brackenfur yowled.

Eclipsepaw hurled herself at Crowpaw, and landed a blow to his face, seeing the slight scar she left there moons ago as a kit. She was careful not to use her claws, yet. He batted at her ears, but was soon taken down by Redpaw. The strong red tabby was pummeling the other dark gray tom with his hindpaws.

Now while Redpaw's distracted, leap and use your claws!

Eclipsepaw did as told, and leaped, knocking Redpaw to the ground. She scored her claws along his flank, but it didn't do bad damage since they weren't fully unsheathed. Blood still began to well out.

"Eclipsepaw! You don't use claws in training sessions!" Squirrelflight hissed.

"it's okay! It doesn't hurt bad, honestly!" Redpaw mewed, glancing at Eclipsepaw. Brackenfur just examined the wound, and announced that it wasn't deep and Redpaw could still move it and fight.

"you eat last tonight..." he growled as he passed Eclipsepaw.

"I'll catch my own prey!" she spat. Brackenfur acknowledged her words with a lash of his tail, signaling he obviously wasn't happy with her actions.

"how about let's train on our own?" Rosepetal suggested, stepping up.

"I don't know if we have time anymore, look at the sky," Squirrelflight breathed. Eclipsepaw looked and saw dark storm clouds, and just as she wanted, the wind began to blow strongly.

"let's go back to camp, the apprentices will be blown off their paws!" Brackenfur mewed. Eclipsepaw dragged behind as they walked to camp. She silently cursed Brackenfur under her breath.

"you know, I don't think you're a bad fighter," Redpaw mewed, dropping back from where he walked up front.

"thanks, I guess..." Eclipsepaw said quietly.

''Why is he just now talking to me? Leave me alone, mouse-brain!''

"your welcome," Redpaw said, and hesitated for a heartbeat before walking faster to the front of the cats. Large raindrops began to fall, and Eclipsepaw welcomed the cold that gripped her. They reached camp, and she prepared for a long night.

''There'll be no prey left after everyone has eaten... Guess I'll starve tonight...''