HeatherClan Book- Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Training

The next morning Goldenfur and Silverstar went off to train their apprentices together, after Goldenfur visited her kits. When she heard that her kit had whitecough, she immediately raced to the medicine cat's den to check on him.

Then she found out that it wasn't too serious, so Spottedleaf finally persuaded her to train Fernpaw.

"Now, you will find that your opponent will usually aim for your belly when you fight, because the belly is soft and unprotected," meowed Goldenfur.

"The move that we are about to show you will leave your soft bellies safe when fighting," added Silverstar.

Goldenfur hit Silverstar with her claw sheathed, and the leader dropped to her back and scrunched up her legs protecting her belly. Then, when Goldenfur tried to bite her legs, Silverstar quickly kicked out, hard, with her legs and caught Goldenfur on the chin. Goldenfur groaned, toppled over and didn't get up again.

Silverstar jumped to her feet and ran over. "Goldenfur, are you..." Before Silverstar could finish her sentence, Goldenfur sprang up and pinned her down.

"Now that," she meowed. "Was the play dead technique."

"Get off of me!" meowed Silverstar through a mouthful of fur.

Goldenfur released Silverstar. "I really got you, didn't I?" she asked.

"I didn't even try!" protested Silverstar. Then they turned back to the apprentices.

"That was a good demonstration of playing dead," admitted Silverstar. "When an enemy cat hurts you, you can go limp. They will think you are dead, and they will let go of you. At that time, you must spring up and pin them down."

"That's also why you have to make sure your opponent can't hurt you, before you release them," added Goldenfur. "But, of course, you don't need to mortally wound another cat to win a battle, according to the Warrior Code."

"Now you try, with Fernpaw attacking," meowed Silverstar to Willowpaw.

After the training session the four cats went off to hunt with Brook and Moonflower. When they came back they had a starling, two squirrels, three mice and a rabbit.