Wildpaw stared at the vast moors. Her ears flattened against her head as she thought about a topic she disliked: herself. She was too soft of an apprentice, never wanting to fight, always missing her catches. She'd come out to the moor to try to prove herself. To Olivestone and the rest of the Clan, yes, but mostly herself. The speckled apprentice took a deep breath and blew it out. Come on, you have to do this. Just hunt a few rabbits, and bring them back to camp, and show Olivestone that you can be a good hunter. The wind ruffled her fur, cold but bearable. With a barely audible sigh, Wildpaw drew farther away from the camp, wondering as she walked. Why was hunting so hard for her, and fighting so unpleasant? How did the others find it so easy to run so fast, while Wildpaw lagged behind, panting? The wind buffeted her fur as she walked, and she cringed at her own annoyance. I have two WindClan parents, and yet I hate the moors. Still, she was far too loyal to switch Clans. And doing so would most likely break Smallbean.
Stop getting lost in your thoughts. You came here to hunt, and you're going to catch something. Determined now, Wildpaw tasted the air. The ever-present scent of rabbit flooded into her scent glands, and she eventually pinpointed one, dropping low to the ground. She peeked up from the waving stalks of grass and crept forwards, her quiet stalk speeding into a sprint. The rabbit lifted its head and started running away, faster than Wildpaw could run. Oh, great. I messed that up. Then she noticed: the rabbit wasn't running exactly away from her. It was running... perpendicular to her. Wildpaw's head tilted quizzically to the side, barely noticing the shadow ascending towards her at a breathtaking rate.
Her head snapped up, and her terrified eyes latched on to the eagle, talons outstretched to grab her, and carry her away. Instinct kicked in, pushing the numbing fear aside. Her claws flicked upwards in an arc, lashing the eagle's wing, and she rolled aside, eagle's talons narrowly missing her face. Wildpaw glanced around desperately for some kind of cover, eyes eventually falling on a small rocky overhang. She darted towards the rocks, eyes open wide in fear as the eagle swooped down. Talons embedded themselves in her face, and Wildpaw prepared to be lifted away, but she somehow fought them off, skidding in a last-ditch effort towards the overhang. The eagle's talons raked across her eyes before it slammed into the overhang, swooping away. Trembling, Wildpaw pressed herself to the rock, groaning in pain as swirling crimson exploded beneath her eyelids. Her heart thumped against her chest, threatening to burst. Her eyes began to drip with tears, mixing with blood, stinging her eyes. The pain was nearly unbearable, as the adrenaline started to fade. She slipped into a feverish sleep, full of Larkflight turning into eagles and attacking her, and Smallbean and Olivestone shaking their heads at her with a disappointed glare on their faces.
