Darkfinch's Story - Chapter 2

Darkpaw sat and watched as his sister caught voles. She quickly became a very good hunter. Her mentor took her a side to teach her more advanced moves, and hunting techniques more and more often. Soon Hollypaw was leaping into the air and snatching birds from the sky. After a little more training, Hollypaw could leap from tree to tree to catch a run away squirrel or she could plunge a paw into a lake and could grab a slippery, floppy, silver fish from the water. Soon Hollypaw only rivaled her mentor in hunting ability. Darkpaw watched with wicked envy. He started feeding off of jealousy and hatred. He took his training even more seriously. He started copying his sister, in time his hunting improved. He fought with wicked envy and rage, battling until he couldn't feel his paws. Darkenberry pushed him to his limits. Then one night a strange cat came to him. The cat seemed to be made of shadows. The cat brought him deep within shadows. The cat tought him everything it knew, or at least that was what Darkfinch though. The cat drilled Darkpaw each night, while Darkenberry mentored him  during the day. With Darkenberry he raced through the trees trying to catch his mentor, while at night the cat helped him swim. Darkpaw scrambled up a tree, while his mentor ran off into the tree tops. Darkpaw listened for any indication of his mentor. Suddenly he heard the crack of a twig and raced off in that direction. Suddenly he looked down. Hollypaw and his nighttime mentor were talking. Hollypaw was talking to softly for him to hear. Apparently Hollypaw was being trained in hunting techniques during the day and fighting techniques during the night. Darkpaw turned away and raced after the sound, searching for his mentor. Darkpaw listened again heard another snap, turned and scrambled higher up the tree and continued searching. Pushing Hollypaw to the back of his mind, Darkpaw ran through the trees in search of his mentor. Suddenly he saw the waving black tail, and raced on. He found his mentor sitting in a tree waiting for him. After the long exercise the two cats headed back to camp. During the night, Darkpaw dreamed. He was suddenly falling through the branches of a tree. He caught his footing and leapt down. His shadow mentor was waiting, she directed him to jump in the water. She padded towards him, trying to stay on the beach. She directed him to try to keep her away from the rock behind him any way possible. She tried to swat him away but he stayed in position. After 5 drills of this. She had him swim up and down the river a few times. When he was done, she pushed him off balance making him fall beneath the surface of the water. She seized her opportunity and jumped on top of him. Darkpaw gasped at the sudden weight and fought to return the surface.