Squid stood facing Cattail, panting and bleeding from a couple of bites and scratches dealt by the fierce dragoness apprentice. His first trial was not going as well as he had hoped.

He growled deep in his chest, trying to be like Anemone in her bravery and ferocity. He hoped no one could see his trembling fins and yellowish spots.

Cattail snarled back, trying to harness any bit of anger in her. She hadn't had any battle training, same as Trout, but that didn't mean she couldn't at least be intimidating.

She lunged at the chick, smacking him down with the back of her paw. He tumbled onto the ground with a yelp, and scurried quickly back onto his feet. He hesitated, then jumped at her, but his pause had given her enough time to prepare, and her tail knocked him out of the air easily.

Squid flopped onto the ground, and struggled- much slower this time- onto his wobbling paws. He scampered out of the grasp of her claws when she struck at him, but he didn't retaliate or fight back, Squid only ran away from her. But given his smaller size, he was quite fast and was able to avoid her talons.

She growled, tensing her muscles, which gave her an idea. She crouched, watching the chick tense his own legs, ready to jump away from her attack. She jerked forward in a false strike. Squid stumbled forward, and she launched her body at him when he paused in confusion.

Her horns rammed into his small frame, and sent him skidding away. She hesitated before following after him. Even though this was his test, she didn't have anything to prove, especially if she had to push around the chick, who was clearly worn out.

Murmers swept throughout the crowd, asking if he was okay, if he could get up, and mostly if he was fit to be an apprentice of WaterClan. Squid dragged himself to his feet, exhaustion flooding his tiny body. But he knew he couldn't be an apprentice without at least being brave, so he held his head high and growled low. At this, the murmers hushed slightly.

Cattail stepped forward, matching his growl. She expected him to back down, to resort back to dodging her claws, but Squid lowered his head and snarled, flaring his frills and lashing his tail. His markings glowed red, a sign of anger and determination. Cattail barely had enough time to register the sudden change in the young dragon before he was on her, slashing and snapping at her scales.

She roared in surprise, and flung her head wildly, a bit too wildly. She rolled onto her back and Squid leaped on top of her chest, growling into her eyes. He was scraped and bloody, but his eyes had a ferocity no one had ever seen in him before.

"All right, enough!" The WaterClan deputy barked. He leapt into the pit, sizing up the chick. Squid seemed to have lost his ferocious streak and was now regarding the senior warrior with shy eyes. "You fight well, but only when you stop holding back. Your fear restricts you until anger takes over. In a real fight, it could have been too late for you to start fighting back. " Shark paused, thinking hard. "If you were to become an apprentice, we could train you to let go of your fear, I suppose." He turned and nodded to Tsunami, who nodded back thoughtfully.

Shark turned back to Squid. "Your second trial begins at the apex of the moon." He smiled eerily. "The best of luck to you."

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Playing with Anemone when they were younger, he had become quite good at hiding. But hiding in a strange forest and being chased by two warriors was definetly new. And harder.

He skidded around a tree, panting heavily as his eyes scanned the forest and sky, looking for the dark shapes of the warriors. No sign.

He sighed, then scanned up the tree. The bark was rough, he could hook his claws around it easily, but the closest branch was very far off of the floor of the forest. He dragged his talons listlessly over the grainy armor of the tree, deep in thought. He would have to be smart to evade the trained warriors. He only had to stay hidden in the forest until the dawn, when Tsunami would take him underground for his third trial.

A twig snapped off to his right, and he jumped. Sharpened talons were carrying one of the warriors through the dark forest. Squid could make out the distinguished horns of Marsh, a dedicated young warrior. One sniff of the air directed the warrior's gaze straight to him, and Marsh threw his head back and roared a call that echoed throughout the forest, that he had found Squid.

He yelped and scrambled away into a patch of thickets that scratched at his fins and pads. They tangled around his talons and wings, and held his tail. He struggled through them as he felt the claws of the warriors breaking down through the thorn barricade around him. He squirmed out and barreled away from the searching dragons. He let his paws lead him through the shadows until he could no longer hear the breaths of the pursuing warriors behind him.

He shakily collapsed onto a patch of moss, trying to calm his hammering heart before it alerted the warriors. He glanced around him, and realized the trees weren't ones that normally grew in swamps. They were sturdier, less gnarled and black. The leaves were a vibrant shade of green, unlike the olive-colored ones in the marshes.

He risked being found by the warriors, and called out. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

The new forest buzzed and hummed with insect wings and bird song, but no roar echoed.

He stood, curiosity filling his eyes. He pushed his frills forward, straining to hear any noise.

A shrill screech pierced his ears like a knife as talons closed around his body, pushing him to the muddy dirt and moss.

He screamed, but other talons clamped over his mouth and squeezed his jaws shut. He struggled as hard as he could, but his body was still sore from his fight with Cattail and his paws still ached from his dash through the forest. He knew though, that these dragons were way to harsh to be the ones that were supposed to find him.