Boredom

Houndpaw trotted into camp, a mouse hardly the size of his paw in his mouth. He dropped it on the pitifully empty fresh kill pile and sat down to groom himself, convinced he had caught fleas from Mudpaw.

Hollypaw sat on the opposite side of the Freshkill pile, lifting emerald eyes to look when Houndpaw came and deposited his prey. "Bad hunting?" she mewed, flicking her tail.

Houndpaw gave a nod and sighed. "I wish New-Leaf would get a move on already. This is my first Leaf-bare but I know its the longest."

Hollypaw nodded. "Yeah. Did you see the river while you were out?" The fluffy black she-cat padded towards her Clanmate to sit a little bit away from him. "How high up was it?"

"Pretty. Hopefully it won't flood. I'd hate that." Houndpaw shook himself, a futile attempt to dry his soaked fur.

"Yeah." Hollypaw shuddered at the thought. "Hey, how's your training going? Thrushflame won't teach me anything."

"Fine. I fought Mudpaw the other day." He raised a leg to scratch his ear. "I'm sure that mouse-brain has fleas!"

She purred in amusement. "Ask the medicine cat for some mouse-bile," she suggested.

"Poor mice will be extinct by the time Mudpaw has lost every creepy-crawly in his fur!" Houndpaw muttered bitterly.

Hollypaw prodded Houndpaw's shoulder. "Want some help with the stinky mouse-bile?"

"You'd really help? Wow thanks!" Houndpaw smiled.

"Sure! It's what friends are for, right?" Hollypaw stood, waving her tail.

"Right!" Houndpaw grinned and stood up, streatching. "I facy a bit of prey first. Wanna share?"

"Sure. Mouse or thrush?" Hollypaw nodded towards the freshkill pile, where there were limited choices.

Fernkit bowled clumsily into the apprentices before sitting up, dusting off her fur and racing after the moss ball. Then realising it had rolled out of the camp, she ran back to Hollypaw and Houndpaw. She bounced up and down with enthusiasm waving one front paw in the ear.
"Teach me some battle moves," She brought the paw down slowely, "Or you shall be cursed." And with that back fipped into the air.

Houndpaw flicked an irritated ear and looked over at the nurcery. "I taught Joltkit some moves earlier. Why don't you go and learn some from him? We'll tell you if your doing it wrong."

"I've been stuck in the nursery all morning!!!! I want you to train me." Fernkit mewed.

Houndpaw sighed. "Fine. Go find some other kits that might want to train."

Hollypaw sighed and sat back down. "We'd better eat quickly or it'll get trampled," she said in mock despair.

"Yeah.." Houndpaw sighed. "SO, what do ya fancy?"

"I don't have to bring other kits unless you want to be trampled!" Fernkit mewed with a goofy smile on her face.

Hollypaw purred. "Mouse, please!" she said enthusiastically, wrapping her tail around her paws. Rainwater soaked into her thick pelt but she didn't mind. Probably because her father was of RiverClan decent. She scowled. Why am I even thinking about him? That traitor...

Houndpaw went over to the fresh kill pile and began to push the soaked bodies out of te way, searching for some dry food. Finally he emerged, a relativly dry mouse in his jaws. "Here. You have the first bite."

Hollypaw blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "OK! Thanks." she mewed, crouching to take a small bite.

Fernkit looked through the fresh kill, she was trying to find a small piece of prey that would be easy to eat, but they were all to big.