Lakepaw waiting for Whitestripe

[Pet Ghost]

Lakepaw, after finishing his mouse, trotted to the meadow and sat down, waiting for Whitestripe.

[.Whitey.]

Whitestripe ran down the meadow and jumped over the small rock. Lakepaw had already been sitting there. *Hi Lakepaw!* He licked the cat almost automatically and meowed *I'll start by showing you how to catch rabbits, if your lucky you might catch one...I'm sure if you take it to the elders they will swap it for a story.* He purred remembering when he was a apprentice, whenever he'd been told he had to look after the elders he loved it, unlikle most apprentices he loved getting new bedding for them getting their ticks out was the hated part the bouse bile was disgusting! Whitestripe jolted back to the present and made his best rabbit crouch he reminded Lakepaw that rabits could hear the noise of your feet before they actually see you. He opened his mouth and surely enough rabbit scent reared up his mouth. He moved forwards stealthly and spotted the rabbit. I hope he's watching! Whitestripe thought. In one quick move he took a bite off the rabbit and it died almost instantly. *Just like that!* He mewed happily.

[Pet Ghost]

"Ok," Lakepaw replied nervously, he opened his mouth to taste the air, and located a rabbit moving around in the grass nearby. He silently approached, as Whitestripe had done, but as he leaped at it, it heard him and hopped away. "Foxdung!" He said, then remembered that this was his first time ever to even try catching a rabbit. "Ah, I'll get the next one." He said eagerly, the next rabbit diddn't stand a chance!

[.Whitey.]

Whitestripe smiled He does have potential he thought. *Lakepaw, try and move you left front paw infront of you...that way the rabbit can't hear from the sides of you. So even if it does hear you you can jump straight away.*

[Pet Ghost]

"Right" Lakepaw waited until another rabbit came along, and waited until it was looking the other way, then came up behind it, jumped and- got it! He turned triumphantly to Whitestripe and said, "I got it! My first piece of prey!" Lakepaw couldn't remember the last time he had felt so happy, if every catch felt like this, he wanted to be the best hunter ever!

[.Whitey.]

*Excellent Lakepaw! If you can remember that when you get a mentor you'll be one step ahead...now what would you like to do next? I don't think teaching you to fight would be appropriate. But i could show you how to catch mice and birds.* Whitestripe felt a pang of guilt, when he had been an apprentice he'd seen all of the forest and learnt how to fight. He couldn't show Lakepaw any of these because he wasn't his mentor. *I'm sorry I can't teach you how to fight but I swear I'll ask Rosestar about your mentor.*

[Pet Ghost]

"Yeah, sure," Said Lakepaw, a bit disappointed. Ever since he was a kit watching the apprentices play-fighting, he had looked forward to when he could learn how to fighting, and be of real use to his clan. At least he could hunt now. "Lets go" He said a moment later.

[.Whitey.]

*Great! I'll take you further arond the meadow to find prey.* whitestripe ran off hoping that lakepaw was following.

[Pet Ghost]

Lakepaw followed Whitestripe around most of the meadow until they came upon a mouse in a patch of grass, he waited for Whitestripe to catch it, and watched intently.

[.Whitey.]

Whitestripe crouched down and moved his paws forward. Ever so gently he pushed forward until he was a fox length away. now! he thought as he jumped on top oof the squirming mouse. The mouse hadn't noticed until the last moment. He stood up and showed Lakepaw the bite marks to see how it was done. *Now Lakepaw what you have to remember is that even though prey might look stupid you always respect it. To be made a warrior doesn't mean to be the best prey catcher...it is to be the wisest yet powerful. Do you understand?*

[Pet Ghost]

"Right" Lakepaw replied, "After all, the prey feeds the clan, and they've never done anything to hurt us. So, what about birds? How do you get them?"

[.Whitey.]

*Excellent! now watch me catch that chaffinch on the tree.* He crept down and crawled along the long grass and straw. The bird looked up and noticed Whitestripe weaving through the grass and straw, it didn't have a chance though because Whitestripe was on top of it as fast as lightning. *did you see how that was done?* He watched the tom for a moment then looked up the sky was beginning to darken. *We'll catch this one and we'll head back. I do believe there is a new apprentice called Tinypaw waiting back at camp * He waited for the toms reply and added *He could be a friend of yours..*

[Pet Ghost]

"Maybe," Lakepaw said, "I'm just going to head back to camp, I need to get some sleep." He yawned. Learning was hard, at least he had caught the rabbit. He trotted back to the camp, and wondered when would he get a mentor?

[.Whitey.]

*Ok make sure you take your rabbit back and your mouse...take the rabbit to the elders and you can have the mouse.* He trotted back and dug up his kill and trotted up to lakepaw through all the fur he said *So did you enjoy today?*

[Pet Ghost]

"Yeah!" Lakepaw said, as he trotted over to get his prey, "I just wish I had a mentor." He started to walk back to camp.