"What happen!" DarkMoss pushed her way into the clearing. A thick tang of blood tainted the air.
"Coyote. Thankfully there was only one of them." Vineclaw told DarkMoss. DarkMoss heard Sageheart drop the rabbit. They had just returned from showing the apprentices the territory. Cats were lined up beside the woven medicine cat den.
"I'm surprised we didn't hear anything about it."
"We couldn't spare any warriors, you know how hard they can fight." Vineclaw had a bite mark on his back. Thankfully not deep.
"Get yourself to Blacktip. I'll see where I can help." Vineclaw nodded his head and limped over to Blacktip's den.
"I'm going to check on Embertail. I don't know why she fought." She told Aquaspear, Sageheart and the apprentices. They all went off on their own ways, helping where they could.

"Embertail?" She trotted over to the dark tabby elder, her brown fur matted with blood. She saw a slow rise and fall of her chest.
"DarkMoss?" Her voice was hoarse, she lifted her head and tried to look behind herself to see DarkMoss.
"Let's get you to Blacktip's den, can you get up?" The elder looked down in front of her, she laid her head down.
"Embertail?" The elders only reply was a shallow breath, then she fell limp.
"Embertail!" DarkMoss frantically looked around for any cat.
"Adderclaw! Get Blacktip now!" DarkMoss cried out, she ran over to the elder. Her front paw was ripped apart, blood was already pooling around her body.

"DarkMoss what's wrong?" Blacktip called to DarkMoss.
"It's Embertail." DarkMoss backed up to give the black and white she-cat room. Blacktip looked at her limp body for a few moments, before looking up, her gaze dark.
"DarkMoss, she's walking with StarClan now. She demanded that I saw the other cats first, and if their was still time to help her."
"Sorry to bother you then. I-I should've known she was gone." DarkMoss choked on her words.
"It's okay, your still pretty young, and  you didn't know any better." Blacktip waited a moment before hurrying back to her den. A cat being killed wasn't very common. Most times cats die because of old age or sickness. Rarely do they die from fighting.

***
DarkMoss stretched in her bed. A moon has past since the coyote attack. A few days ago, Silverpatch asked if Patch could join. And Ashstar being Ashstar, she let him join. DarkMoss thought. She heaved herself to her paws. Not really caring if she woke Silverpatch or Aquaspear up. She walked into the clearing, stretching again. She shook out her fur, hoping that it'll fix itself.

"I saved you a vole." Thistle met DarkMoss a few tail-lengths from the fresh kill-pile. Her and Thistle had become good friends sense he joined.
"Thanks. Do you want to battle train with Lillypaw and me today?" DarkMoss bent down and took a bite of her vole.
"I'd love to, what move is it?" Thistle finished the last bit of his mouse.
"I'm going to have a fake battle just to see what she dose. Do you mind being her opponent?" DarkMoss drifted her tail across the dirt, causing a small cloud of dust.
"Sure, we're both about evenly matched anyway, other than size and weight." Thistle was also learning battle moves and hunting techniques. DarkMoss stood up after she finished her vole. She walked over to the apprentice den.

"Lillypaw, you need to get up." DarkMoss called to the sleeping apprentice. She ducked her head into the hollow stone den to make sure she was getting up. She saw the calico she-cat get up and stretched. Lillypaw snaked her way between the other sleeping apprentices.
"Can I get me something to eat first?" Lillypaw whispered shyly.
"Of course." DarkMoss backed out of the way so Lillypaw could get out.
"Thank you." She hurried over to the fresh-kill pile, and picked out a shrew from the day before.

"Ready?" DarkMoss asked Thistle and Lillypaw.
"Yep." Lillypaw perked up a bit. They headed off towards the training area. Which was a large area covered in moss and surrounded by a few large trees. It wasn't very far from camp, just head to the lake, but turn right after about a tree length.

"What are we doing today?" Lillypaw asked as they stood in the middle of the clearing.
"A fake battle between you and Thistle. Remember, claws sheathed." DarkMoss instructed. DarkMoss sat on a stump on the edge of the clearing, watching Lillypaw and Thistle circle each other. Lillypaw made the first move. She jumped over Thistle, landing on her front paws and kicking Thistle's side hard with her back legs. Thistle stumbled and nearly lost his balance. Lillypaw whipped around and rammed into Thistle with her front paws. Thistle was prepared and rolled her to the ground. He had his front paws on her chest while she laid on her back. Lillypaw thrusted her back paws into his belly and threw him off of her.

She quickly got to her paws and surprisingly she ran over to the nearest tree and climbed halfway up from the lowest branch. When Thistle realized where she had went, he headed for her. Lillypaw leaped from the tree and landed squarely on Thistle's shoulders, causing him to fall. He quickly flipped Lillypaw after she stood on him. Lillypaw started to throw hard blows to his face. Thistle must have loosed his grip just enough to where Lillypaw could escape. They stood looking face to face at each other.

"It's your move." Thistle challenged. From what DarkMoss could see, Lillypaw looked him dead in the eye. She glanced to one of his sides then dived underneath of the tom. Lillypaw stood up quickly and threw him off balance. Thistle reached for Lillypaw's back leg, he grabbed it and slung her out from underneath of himself. She twisted around for a moment, trying to stand up. Thistle reared up and threw himself down at Lillypaw. Although he came down hard, he landed lightly on the young apprentice. He looked down at the panting apprentice. He got off of her and helped her up.

"How did I do?" Lillypaw said between breaths.
"You did awesome. I loved how you leaped from that tree." DarkMoss pointed to the oak tree with the tip of her tail.
"I didn't see that one coming." Thistle admitted. Lillypaw walked over to the puddle that was made by a spring. Thistle joined her after a minute.
"I want to try you next DarkMoss." Lillypaw said after a moment.
"Well, What are we waiting for, Let's go." DarkMoss jumped off the log, she padded up to the center and circled Lillypaw. DarkMoss took the first move quick. She lunged at Lillypaw's shoulders. Lillypaw fell to the ground but twisted her paws just right. DarkMoss stumbled to the side, Lillypaw got up and started to head for a tree again. DarkMoss bolted after her apprentice, meeting her a tail length before they got to the tree.

DarkMoss took a blow at her back legs, kicking them out from underneath of her. Lillypaw kicked up some moss but kept running. She leapt up the tree about two tail lengths then came back at DarkMoss. Lillypaw threw DarkMoss backwards, she hit the ground so hard that she got winded. DarkMoss went limp for a second. Lillypaw stood up proudly on DarkMoss' chest. DarkMoss threw Lillypaw off of her. She stumbled up to her paws, still trying to catch her breath. Lillypaw ran up and gave a few hard blows to DarkMoss' head. DarkMoss swiped Lillypaw's front legs to the side, causing her to fall only in the front until she brought her hunches down with the rest of her.

"Let's call this a tie." DarkMoss said out of breath. Lillypaw stood up again and shook out her ruffed fur.
"Okay, But we'll continue this soon. Deal?" Lillypaw jokingly ordered.
"Deal." DarkMoss agreed. "Ready to head back for a bit? We can do some hunting later on."
"Sounds good to me!" Lillypaw lead the way back to camp, Thistle and DarkMoss falling behind her.