Dunepaw awoke the next day to his mentor's calls again. It was almost sunhigh, and the weather was hot once again. The sun beat mercilessly on his cream tabby coat and he longed for the cooling taste of water. What made the day even more hot, was the fact that Waspfire had decided to practice battle training.

    Dunepaw ambled alongside Elmpaw and Snailpaw. The siblings were bickering most of the way to the beach. Snailpaw, being as obnoxious and loud as a badger, had started an argument over who was the best at battle training. Though he didn't join the argument, Dunepaw thought Elmpaw was the best.

    Elmpaw was logical and clever. He could out think a fox if he wanted to. Though he was clever, he was careless of others and what happened to them. Elmpaw reminded him of a loner. Elmpaw was his own cat, and only cared for his survival, which is why the young tom didn't have many friends. He almost felt bad for Elmpaw. After all, the patrol was made up of the most obnoxious cats in the Clan. Dunepaw took it as a complement.

    Finally, the group reached the rocky ledges that spilled down onto sandy beach. Luckily, there was a safe passage down. The passage was well hidden by brambles and rocks, and it was a narrow fit. Cherrymoss, being the bulkiest of the group had a slight struggle.

    The shade the passage gave off was cooling to his cream coat and he sighed in relief as he ambled slowly down the slope. At last they reached the hot sand that burned Dunepaw's pink paw pads. He winced at the sting and dipped his paws in the salty water nearby.

    "Dunepaw! Today is not a relaxing day at the beach!" Waspfire called to his apprentice, his yellow eyes bright.

    Dunepaw grinned. For once the young tom was in a happier mood. Perhaps it was the beach that made him happy? He shook his thoughts off. It was time for training! He took a place beside Snailpaw and stood alertly.

    "Right, before we get into training, your warm up comes first," Brambleears eyed each apprentice. "Two laps around the beach, meet back here and we will have an agility course planned out."

    "I'll lead you three to the starting rock," Cherrymoss waved her tail and the three apprentices followed in tow.

    The four cats reached a heap of gray rocks, and each apprentice lined up evenly. "Remember," Cherrymoss mewed. "This isn't a race."

    Snailpaw rolled her eyes. "Is that because I'd beat them both, anyways?" The cream and gray cat smirked smugly towards Dunepaw and Elmpaw, which made Dunepaw's fur stand on end.

    Cherrymoss cuffed her apprentice over the ears. "Save your breath for the run, Snailpaw. Go!"

    Snailpaw bursted off quicker then Dunepaw expected. Obviously, the molly was eager to deny her name. Her long legs carried her over the sand gracefully and quickly. Snailpaw's only problem was that she had started off too fast. Dunepaw knew she would loose energy fast.

    The cream tabby left Elmpaw behind. Snailpaw was still far ahead, but was slowing down. Dunepaw decided to keep his pace until the next lap. At last, he crossed the heap of rocks, and was getting slightly out of breath. Snailpaw was still ahead, but slower then she had been. It wouldn't be long until Dunepaw over took her.

    The second lap was nearing to a close, and Dunepaw bursted into a full sprint. He surpassed a panting Snailpaw and crossed the finish. A victorious feeling gushed through his wobbly limbs and he heaved in air. Waspfire padded up to congratulate him, even though it hadn't been a race.

    Snailpaw stomped over and gave Dunepaw a look filled with hate. Her cheeks were flushed red in embarrassment, and Dunepaw rejoiced in it. Elmpaw came last and flopped on the sand like a fish.

    Brambleears helped her apprentice up and led him to the start of the agility course. Their job was to leap from rock to rock without falling. But before they Dunepaw could begin, Brambleears decided against the agility course and claimed Elmpaw needed to rest.

    Waspfire and Cherrymoss shrugged it off and led their apprentices to a separate part of the beach. There, they split up into pair to review some battle tactics. Waspfire decided to let them have a spar afterwards.

    Waspfire and Dunepaw faced each other. "Attack me," Waspfire meowed.

    Dunepaw charged straight forward, hoping to catch his mentor off guard. Unfortunately, it was expected, and Dunepaw's head only hit Waspfire's lifted paw to stop him.

    Waspfire bent his head down, paw still on Dunepaw's head. "Try something new. I've taught you a lot in the past two moons, and I expect you do something with it." A glimmer of amusement sparkled in Waspfire's eyes.

    Dunepaw swatted his mentor's paw away and backed up a few paces. Perhaps I need a more inventive approach... The water was behind his mentor, a few rocks were at his mentor's left, and the sand was.. everywhere. Suddenly a bright light dinged in his head and a tactic was made.

    Dunepaw charged again, head on. He fainted left and went right, propelled himself off the hot, gray stones and landed a blow to his mentor's side. Dunepaw slid slyly underneath Waspfire and landed a blow at his stomach. He was close to the end of his move before Waspfire shot out a paw and knocked Dunepaw on the head and quickly pinned him.

    "Inventive, but you gave away your plan," Waspfire looked at him and expected Dunepaw to speak.

    "I was going to 'blind' you with the water once you turned around..." Dunepaw mumbled anxiously.

    "Good plan, I admit. But what would you do if there was no water?" Waspfire questioned Dunepaw who gave a puzzled look.

    "Leap and hold...?" Dunepaw gave a guess.

    Waspfire purred. "One way. What's another?"

    The two went on training and reviewing battle tactics, with a few interruptions with Dunepaw's inventive strategies. Finally it was time for the spar. Elmpaw joined the others at last and the test began. Elmpaw and Snailpaw begged to test each other first. Elmpaw beat Snailpaw which allowed for Elmpaw to battle the winner of the next round.

    Dunepaw determinedly faced his adversary and made sure to look at his surroundings. There was no water nearby, only rocks and sand. Dunepaw had the perfect move. He repeated his steps with Waspfire and feigned left but went right. He propelled off the rocks once more and landed a strong hit on the side before ducking underneath. His timing was off, though, and Snailpaw dropped on top of him and pinned him with a paw.

    "Ha," Snailpaw meowed smugly. She awaited a response, but got none. "Fox got your tongue?" Snailpaw got off and padded over to her mentor triumphantly. Cherrymoss gave her encouraging praise.

    Elmpaw and Snailpaw faced off once again. It was a longer match this time, but Elmpaw still came out on top. Dunepaw was glad. For once somebody besides himself was putting Snailpaw in her place.

    After a few battle tactics were taught, they began to head home. On the way, Dunepaw went over the new tactics in his head instead of listening to Snailpaw and Elmpaw bicker. These tactics were more advanced, some Snailpaw and Elmpaw already knew. After all, Dunepaw and Melonpaw we're the youngest cats in the Clan apart from the kits.

    The main tactic he had learned were concealing the size of the battle force by creating a single file line. Another one of his faveorite tactics was attacking both ends of an opposing battle line. Perhaps Dunepaw would be able to use them one day. After all, MoorClan was the only known Clan in the area. Not many battles ever occured unless ten foxes somehow marched onto the territory for some reason.

    When Dunepaw reached camp, he parted from the group and raced off to eat with the rest of his clanmates.