"Tabbypaw! Oh, Tabbypaw! Where are you, my dearest bestest friend who I love and cherish the most in all the world?"

Tabbypaw groaned, pulling her paw further over her eyes and burrowing deeper into her nest. It was too early for this. "Go 'way, Mothpaw. I'm still sleeping."

A paw poked her right in the chin. "Tabbypaw!" Her best friend's sing-song voice was a lot closer and harder to ignore now. She batted him away, eyes still shut. She was going to get every possible heartbeat of sleep she could.

"Tabbypaw!"

She let out a long whine and opened her eyes. It was time to admit defeat. "Okay, okay, I'm coming. I'm up. I'm up." As slowly as she could get away with, she sat up straight and stretched out each limb. Mothpaw waited by the den entrance, weight shifting from paw to paw impatiently. She got up out of her nest and padded over to join him.

"What's going on? Did I get up too late?" Tabbypaw asked, looking around.

Mothpaw shook his head. "Nah! I've been up since sun-up. I couldn't sleep. Alderbee said she wants to take me out today to learn some new stuff by playing games. You and Nightmist are coming along as well."

While Tabbypaw was relieved she wasn't in trouble, a new thought entered her mind. "Wait - does that mean that-"

"There she is! The Clan disappointment!"

Tabbypaw sighed exhaustedly. "Ashpaw's coming," she mewed as Mothpaw nodded, looking apologetic.

"So, Tabbypaw! Are you and Mothpaw ready to come along to today's training?" Ashpaw asked, voice dripping with poisoned honey. She flicked her tail from side to side as she spoke. "Jackdawpaw, Cragpaw, Flypaw and I are ready to leave when you are. Don't trip over your massive paws on the way out!"

Tabbypaw watched Ashpaw leave, then looked down at her wider-than-average paws and flexed them. "They're not that big, are they?" she asked Mothpaw.

"Not in the slightest! You know Ashpaw's just a foxheart. She's mean to you for no reason," Mothpaw insisted, gesturing dramatically as he did so.

"Who's mean for no reason?"

"Nightmist!" Tabbypaw and Mothpaw mewed in unison.

Tabbypaw was happy to see her mentor. The tall and sleek black warrior was standing right behind them, and somehow neither of them had noticed. He was looking between them expectantly, the tip of his tail twitching back and forth. "Are you both ready to go? Alderbee and Cloudthroat are coming along too. We felt that was enough supervision. You all are old enough and sensible enough now. You don't need all the mentors hanging over you. Anyway, Cragpaw, Jackdawpaw, Flypaw and Ashpaw are all ready. Coming?"

Tabbypaw nodded. "We're coming now."

"Yup, coming now," Mothpaw echoed.

Nightmist nodded, turned around and started padding away. Tabbypaw trotted behind him, looking to Mothpaw who speedily followed. The three of them made their way to the camp entrance where the other mentors and apprentices were waiting. Alderbee and Cloudthroat both meowed a greeting. Ashpaw and Cragpaw looked at Tabbypaw, then looked swiftly away.

Jackdawpaw came bounding up to greet them. "Tabbypaw! Mothpaw! Hey!" The black tom had a massive beaming grin on his face and bounced from paw to paw. He always looked so happy to see her, and made any training sessions with Ashpaw and Cragpaw involved bearable.

"Hi!" Tabbypaw chirped, purring as she brushed her cheek against the other apprentice's. "I'm so relieved you're coming."

Jackdawpaw purred in amusement. "Well, c'mon, Tabbypaw, I couldn't leave you to deal with my pain-in-the-tail littermates on your own, now could I?" He swiped a paw over her ears, at which Tabbypaw squealed indignantly and attempted to return the favour but failed. He cackled in triumph.

"Hang on," Mothpaw interjected, "she wouldn't be alone. She would have me!" He puffed out as much of his chest as he could without unbalancing himself and falling over.

Flypaw turned to him, grinning. "Oh yeah? Because you, the mighty and ferocious Mothpaw, fiercest cat in the Clans, is going to stop the Terrible Twosome from terrorising and bullying?"

Alderbee chipped in. "Who's terrorising and bullying?"

Mothpaw's eyes went wide when he saw his mentor. "No one! We're just messing around! So, are we going?"

"Everyone is here and ready. I think we can leave," Cloudthroat announced, gesturing with his tail for the group to follow him.

The mentors led while the apprentices tagged behind. Tabbypaw deliberately stuck herself between Flypaw and Jackdawpaw to get as far from Ashpaw and Cragpaw as possible. She did her best to stare straight ahead and not move or twitch a whisker. She noticed Jackdawpaw fluff his fur up, probably expecting what was coming next.

"Aw, Tabbypaw, you're not going to come chat with us?" Ashpaw asked, trying to peek around Mothpaw, obviously pretending to sound injured. Tabbypaw didn't look at her.

Cragpaw just had to join in. "Yeah, Tabbypaw! We missed you and want to chat."

"If you don't mind, Tabbypaw is my sister and I will be chatting with her!" Flypaw snapped, making a face at the pair.

Tabbypaw was grateful for her sister intervening, relief flooding her body in a cool wave. "Yeah. We chatted earlier, remember, Ashpaw?" she muttered through gritted teeth.

"You can do plenty of chatting later on after training," Nightmist put in. "For now, we're expecting you all to work. You've been slacking. And relations with HollowClan haven't exactly been the best right now, so you need to be prepared in case anything happens and learn better teamwork."

Well. Sorry if I don't want to cooperate with the meanest furballs in the whole Clan, Tabbypaw thought. She glanced sideways at Flypaw and Jackdawpaw, who clearly felt the same as she did, judging by the expressions on their faces.

The rest of the journey to the training clearing passed in silence. As they all filed in, everyone spread themselves out, apprentices facing the mentors. Nightmist stepped forward to address them.

He raised his head, looking between all of the apprentices as he spoke. "Today, we will do a game of capture the feather, to work on our teamwork, communication and coordination skills. Now, we will assign the teams."

Between them, the mentors assigned Mothpaw, Cragpaw and Jackdawpaw to one team and Flypaw, Ashpaw and Tabbypaw to the other. Tabbypaw's pelt bristled uncomfortably as she stood beside Ashpaw. She could sense the malicious excitement bubbling inside the other apprentice. Her anxiety was increasing with every heartbeat.

Alderbee pushed two feathers forward so all the apprentices could see. One was a long, brown feather with cream and black speckles. The other was a short, black feather. "These are the feathers you'll be retrieving. A quick reminder of the rules: these feathers will be put in your team dens. Flypaw's team, yours is the brown one and will be put between those holly bushes over there. Cragpaw's team, yours is the black one and will be on that boulder over there." Alderbee indicated to the two dens, pointing with her tail. "Your aim is to get the other team's feather and bring it back to your den. To do that, you'll have to work together and communicate as a team."

"Good luck. You have a few quick moments to strategise before we give the signal to begin," Cloudthroat contributed.

As the mentors set up the dens, the two teams huddled. Tabbypaw fixed her gaze on Flypaw, refusing to pay Ashpaw any mind. She wasn't going to let Ashpaw's relentless bullying going to ruin today's training. Capture the feather was Tabbypaw's favourite game, and she was good at it too.

"How about Ashpaw and I go for the attack, and Tabbypaw, you stay and guard our feather?" Flypaw suggested.

While Tabbypaw appreciated what her sister was trying to do, she didn't want to be held back. "No, I'll go for the attack. You guard, Flypaw. I think I can do it." She sounded a whole lot more confident than she felt. She held her head high and her shoulders back in a stance of proud defiance, hoping she was convincing enough to persuade the other two.

Ashpaw raised a dubious eyebrow. "Look at little Tabbypaw, all cockiness and confidence! Going to win capture the feather! If you don't trip and stumble over those-" A sharp glare from Flypaw cut her off. 

Tabbypaw's chest tightened up. Flypaw was always ready to intervene, but she wasn't always going to be there to do that. She tried to think of some witty reply to impress Flypaw and completely stun stupid Ashpaw into silence. She opened her mouth, then shut it, then opened it again like a gasping fish. Immediately her pelt burned with embarrassment as Ashpaw cackled at her floundering.

"Begin," Nightmist announced, leaving the three apprentices hovering for a moment.

Alright, it's now or never. Go, Tabbypaw, and get that feather, she ordered herself, trying to psych herself up to do it. Her heart was beating quick as a hummingbird's wings, and she nearly ran back to hide and protect the base, but she could feel Ashpaw's scrutinising gaze boring into the back of her skull and that was more than enough motivation to launch herself forward into the fray. 

Her paws thundered against the ground as she ran, no plan, just the singular aim of get close to that feather in her head. Ashpaw ran alongside her, some distance to her left. Her path was curving away from Tabbypaw's and around, looking like she was attempting to get around the side of the base and slip in that way. A tactic old as the game itself, and one that the toms definitely would see coming.

Jackdawpaw yowled in alarm as he saw Ashpaw, which made Tabbypaw's heart jump into her throat. This was her chance to get in there. She reined in the speed and began to survey to strategise.
Jackdawpaw was now occupied with Ashpaw's failed attack attempt. Cragpaw had been distracted as well - and Mothpaw was...

Oh no.

Mothpaw was nowhere to be seen, which could only mean-

Tabbypaw swerved around to see Mothpaw legging it towards their base. He wasn't very fast, nor was he very fit, evidenced by the fact he was panting rapidly as he pushed towards the she-cats' base as fast as he could. She narrowed her eyes.
Flypaw was ready for him, legs apart, head low, poised to strike whatever he did.
Mothpaw stopped momentarily to try kick some dust into Flypaw's face, and those few heartbeats were all Tabbypaw needed to be able to creep up and take him out at the knees with a calculated swipe of her paw.

Mothpaw flopped to the ground with a very satisfying oof as the wind was suddenly taken out of him. Flypaw laughed at his misfortune. Tabbypaw allowed herself to feel smug for a moment, but it was interrupted quickly by a loud caterwaul for help.

"Tabbypaw! Get over here and help me!"

She turned on her heel and raced back to Ashpaw. The apprentice was dodging swats from Jackdawpaw, who was twice her size and looked like he could do this all day. Cragpaw helped him from the side. Ashpaw was, without a doubt, overwhelmed.

The vindictive part of Tabbypaw wanted to sit and enjoy the irritating fleapelt struggling, but then she remembered the game and Alderbee's words to them earlier and decided she had to intervene. She launched herself at Cragpaw with all the strength she could muster, knocking him off his paws and sending him flying.

Tabbypaw and Cragpaw ended up in a tangle of paws and limbs as her paw caught on his leg. The two of them grunted as they landed heavily on the ground. He scrambled and kicked, only making the situation worse as she tried to unwind herself. They rolled and writhed, both trying unsuccessfully to undo the knot they had created and only further entangling themselves. Tabbypaw's breath had caught in her throat. She hated this, needed to get free, to escape, to get away, to get the feather to win.

With a hefty grunt of effort, she swiped down hard to try and jerk her paw away. Cragpaw howled as his leg was jerked along with it further than the joint properly allowed.

"Stop," Nightmist's voice commanded. "Stop. The exercise is over."

Tabbypaw felt teeth in her scruff as she was pulled from Cragpaw's grip like a naughty kit. She was dropped unceremoniously by an unimpressed-looking Cloudthroat.

Cragpaw held a paw up, glaring accusingly at her. "She’s broken my leg! I'll be lame forever now," he growled, not taking his eyes off Tabbypaw.

"Stop fussing. It's a simple wrench. Nothing Berrywhisker can't set right in a few heartbeats. You'll be fine," Nightmist meowed gruffly, shutting him right up.

Tabbypaw could have thrown up with guilt. She knew a wrench wasn't dangerous - she had experienced the pain of it herself - but hurting her Clanmate accidentally, even if it was the bully Cragpaw, made her feel awful.

Nightmist's tail tapped her chin. "Don't worry about him. He'll be fine. I saw what happened, okay? You just panicked. We can work on that." His tone was kind as his intense green eyes looked into hers, but she felt bad anyway.

She nodded. "I know. I'm sorry." She hung her head.

"Don't be silly. Easily done. Probably one of the most common apprentice injuries. I know I have done it myself," her mentor reminisced. "You know what? Here's an opportunity to work on your instincts - an assessment. Be ready to go just before sundown. No pressure. Just think of it as another training session. You're coming along well, Tabbypaw. We can learn to work with your anxiety. Many warriors get along just fine with it, and you will too. I'll have you talk to some of them. Would that be helpful for you?"

Tabbypaw thought it did sound helpful. She was so endlessly grateful for Nightmist's patience and kindness with her. It was unwavering, and his acting like her anxiety was the most normal thing in the world helped tremendously. She felt like less of a failure and a freak with him. "Thank you. I'll be ready."

Nightmist dipped his head. "Glad to hear it. I'll let you know about the chats with the warriors with anxiety. Now, go get some rest. You've done well this morning."

"No, I haven't," Tabbypaw sighed.

"Yes, you have," Nightmist insisted. "You're really good at this game. You were amazing. Your speed and on-the-spot strategising were absolutely astounding. Excellent work."

Tabbypaw felt a thrum of pride. "Really? Thank you," she mewed, unable to stop herself from beaming. She delighted in any praise Nightmist gave her. Nightmist only gave praise when he meant it.

Nightmist nodded. "I'll see you for the assessment. Go ask if Jackdawpaw or Mothpaw can go with you."

Tabbypaw mewed her agreement, turned and left. She went to the fresh-kill pile and got herself something to eat. Her stomach churned and squeezed with the anxiety of the morning's mishap.

Ashpaw padded past her. "Thanks for ruining training, you pathetic birdbrain."

She didn't even react as she picked up a finch. Ashpaw's taunts couldn't make her feel any worse than she already did. Instead of responding, she gave Ashpaw a blank look and went to find Jackdawpaw or Mothpaw. Either of the toms would be welcome company right now.

Jackdawpaw was close by. He was resting, washing himself and carefully flattening down the fur that had gotten ruffled during the game. "Come sit," he told her, patting the ground with his tail.

Tabbypaw did as she was told. "Do you wanna share?" she asked as she put the finch down.

"No, I'm not hungry."

Tabbypaw took a bite. "So, Nightmist wants me to do an assessment later, since the game ended early this morning. Do you want to come? He said I could ask you or Mothpaw. And I found you first."

Jackdawpaw brightened. "Sure. I don't know what the assessment will be, but it can't hurt. Are you doing okay after the game?" He touched her lightly with his tail-tip. Genuine concern was clear on his face.

Tabbypaw sniffed. "No. I feel bad. I didn't meant to hurt Cragpaw, but I panicked and I struggled like a fish and ended up wrenching his leg. It makes me feel like the worst Clanmate ever."

"Don't talk like that," Jackdawpaw chided. "Accidents happen, yeah? Forget about it now, anyway. We'll do great on the assessment." He sounded a lot more chirpy than Tabbypaw felt.

Tabbypaw scrunched her nose. It was so difficult. It wasn't as easy as just 'forgetting about it'. Everything looped around her mind constantly. She couldn't forget anything if she tried. But she was lucky Jackdawpaw was kind. Unlike his littermates. She didn't think he really understood, but she was happy for his optimism and friendship nonetheless.

Jackdawpaw was looking at her. She couldn't pinpoint the expression on his face. The sound of wind whistled round above them, blending in with the sound of the sea far away below.

"What?" she asked, chewing some more finch.

He shook his head. "Nothing really. I feel as if there's a whole other world in your head that nobody else ever gets a look at."

Tabbypaw's eyebrows furrowed. Her mouth opened to ask him what he meant by that, but she didn't get the chance.

He was on his paws. "Well, I'd better clean up and see if there's anything Owltooth wants me to do before we go do that assessment. I'll see you later."

Tabbypaw watched him go, mildly annoyed. He had just invited her to sit, yet now he was running off to do chores. Oh well. "See you later," she echoed.

Now that nobody was around her, and the only sounds were her Clanmates milling about casually, she could hear so much more of the wild. The wind was louder now. Birds sang and fluttered from branch to branch.
But that wasn't a bird. The sound was a song, but not one that sounded like any bird Tabbypaw had ever heard. It sounded like words. What those words were, she couldn't discern, but they were definitely there.

It was chilling, but not in a bad way. It intrigued her. The tune was lilting, haunting, like a call of some kind. Her ears picked up on a repeating tune, of only a couple of sounds, four or five at most. Every time she thought she recognised a word, it suddenly began to sound different.

She looked between her Clanmates. None of them seemed to hear it. She was just about to ask someone if they did when it stopped as suddenly as it began.

It left her with her bones feeling hollow, her mind more dreamy. Never in her life had she heard anything like it. She had this odd feeling it had penetrated her heart and left a mark.

As much as she wanted to, no matter how much she tried to convince herself it was her imagination or some animal, she couldn't let it go.

She had this gut feeling it was calling - calling to her.