Mossy Briars [For Berryheart]

Mossheart was exhausted, the she-cat had been a part of the dawn patrol, follow behind her captain and trying her best to keep up. The she-cat, however, took her responsibility as a mentor seriously, Cinderstream's death had meant she was in charge of Briarpaw's training. Her first apprentice, the she-cat was excited, she'd been planning different things to teach her all day even while patrol. "Briarpaw?" She called out into the Apprentice den, it was almost sunhigh, so she was hoping that her apprentice would be awake by now.

"Yes?" Briarpaw yawned, he had seemed tired like he was up all night

"Oh, you sound tired. Still up for us to go training today?" Mossheart asked, purring softly not to wake up any of the others.

"Yes!" Briarpaw jumped up

Mossheart mreowed with laughter, lifting a paw to place on Briarpaw's nose as a reminder that others were still sleeping. "Shhh, no need to wake the others. Come, I'll take you on a patrol and then we can train a bit."

Briarpaw followed Mossheart out camp

Mossheart lead Briarpaw to a dry path in the usually boggy territory for them to try their hand at hunting. It wasn't the Captain patrols as Thrushstar had mandated, but she felt like the old leader wouldn't get too mad if it was just for training. "Smell anything, Briarpaw?"

"It smells like dirt and something else" Briarpaw said

"That's the scent of a frog." Mossheart filled in. "They smell like damp earth, try see if you can track one down."

Briarpaw crouched and followed the scent, he looked around a large rock and he saw the frog as it hopped away, he leaped to catch it, but he and the frog tumbled together until they stopped and the frog hopped away. He shook his pelt and then groomed his fur, embarrased, he didn't make eye contact with Mossheart

Mossheart watched earnestly, wincing when the two of them tumbled around. It would take a miracle to recover from that and catch it, and she was right. Sighing, the she-cat went over to where Briarpaw was seated, and flicked with her tail for the tom to follow.

"Watch me carefully." The warrior instructed, laying low on her belly and creeping through the grass. She followed the faint scent of a marsh rat, it was a little stale, but strong. This has to be a well used path. And it turned out that she was correct, at the end of the trail was a nest of juvenile marsh rats. "Go to the other side. I'll pounce on them, but some will probably escape. I'm counting on you, Briarpaw." She whispered.

Briarpaw padded to the other side, getting ready to do whatever he can

Mossheart crept on her belly a little further before finally pouncing on the nest. With a paw swipe and a bite, she killed two, but the other two marsh rats scrambled away. She was counting on her apprentice.