"Amber, you don't know Jet like I do. How can the same cat who saved me as a kit also be a coldblooded murderer?" She meowed, memories flashing inside her mind like lightning strikes. "Maybe all of this training has gotten to your head, with Firepaw and all. Do you want to take today off? Don't worry, I can manage those two, it'll be a piece of prey." She meowed jokingly, though her eyes showed that she was worried about her friend.
Amber shook her head. "Yeah right! Icestar would kill me. He doesn't like anyone missing out on training these days." She sighed. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." She meowed, lightly tapping her friend's shoulder with the tip of her tail.
"Good. And shh! Firepaw and Ravenpaw are here; I don't want them to hear about your nonsense, okay?" Scarlet said, though her eyes were bright. "Come on, now let's go to the training hollow." The dark ginger she-cat meowed, waving her tail as soon as the two apprentices caught up. Firepaw let out an exasperated sigh.
"The training hollow? Again? But we did that yesterday! I want to go hunting. The fresh-kill pile is barely stocked! I had to share a mouse with Echopaw and Toadpaw yesterday!" The young cat's once bright ginger coat had turned to a dull colored pelt.
Amber sighed, her eyes darkening. "I'm sorry... But we have to do what Jet says. He only chooses two hunting patrols a day, and we got assigned battle training again." She pressed her pelt against her apprentice's side, which was almost as bony as his. "You can have my share of prey tonight, along with yours." She meowed, and Scarlet nodded to Ravenpaw, her eyes soft. "Now come on, let's go."
Since the apprentices already knew the path by heart, they let them run up ahead, hearing their squeals of excitement whenever a battered leaf was drifting in the wind, and how they competed to see which one could get it down first.
They haven't been able to play much recently... With Jet's new orders. She turned to Scarlet, daring to ask again. "Still not suspicious about Jet?" Her friend's eyes flashed, but she shook her head, and only meowed,
"Come on, we need to catch up."
~*~
"Jet, the Clan cats have about nothing to eat. And more importantly, we're starting to feel hungry at night, too." Copper said, her skinny frame jutting out. "Should we increase the hunting patrols?"
The big black tom shook his head. "Go hunting by yourself if I care! They need to focus on battle training. After my announcement, hunger will be the least of their problems."
