Free A Forest Divided by Erin Hunter Page B

concentrate.”
    â€œI want a turn,” Sparrow Fur complained.
    â€œThe mouse isn’t going anywhere,” Acorn Fur told her.
    â€œIt’ll be shredded by the time I get to stalk it.” Sparrow Fur ducked her chin sullenly.
    â€œOwl Eyes needs to practice.” As Acorn Fur spoke, a withered leaf dropped from a branch above them and pattered onto the wet ground.
    Owl Eyes’s gaze flicked toward it.
    Acorn Fur whipped her tail-tip at him. “Don’t look at the leaf! Focus on the mouse !”
    Owl Eyes gasped. “Sorry!”
    Thunder felt a jab of pity for the young tom. Owl Eyes’s last pounce had sent him slithering past the mouse, his paws skidding on the muddy earth. If Acorn Fur made him any more nervous, his next pounce wouldn’t be much better.
    â€œIt’s good that he’s so alert,” Thunder said, standing. “You have to be wary in the forest. It’s not as easy to spot danger as on the moor.”
    Acorn Fur bristled. “But he shouldn’t take his eyes off his prey every time a leaf falls!” she snapped. “He’ll never catch anything.”
    Owl Eyes peered up at the shivering branches. “I’ll get usedto it,” he promised. His pelt was twitching nervously. Thunder could see that he still wasn’t comfortable living beneath a tangled canopy of branches.
    Thunder crossed the clearing and stopped beside Acorn Fur. “He’s young,” he murmured into her ear. “Remember how long it took you to learn your hunting crouch.” He winked teasingly.
    â€œI learned it quicker than you,” she retorted.
    â€œ And quicker than Lightning Tail,” Thunder reminded her.
    She purred and turned back to Owl Eyes. “You’ll be able to tell the difference between a falling leaf and a stalking fox before you know it,” she reassured him. “For now, concentrate on the mouse. I’ll warn you if I smell danger.”
    Sparrow Fur snorted. “This is taking forever!”
    Acorn Fur called to her. “Why don’t you see how many different scents you can detect while you wait?”
    Clear Sky grunted. “Counting scents is for kits.” He marched across the clearing. “Give her something better to do! Let her hunt real prey.” He stopped beside the dead mouse and kicked it, sending it rolling across the forest floor. Owl Eyes never took his eyes off it.
    Acorn Fur shifted her paws uneasily. “But she doesn’t know how to hunt in a forest yet.”
    â€œAnd she never will if you don’t let her practice.” Clear Sky nodded to Sparrow Fur. “Off you go! Catch something for the other cats.”
    Sparrow Fur’s eyes lit up. “Great!” She turned and headed past the bramble.
    â€œWait! You don’t know what’s out there.” Acorn Fur beckoned to Owl Eyes with a flick of her tail. “We’ll come with you!”
    Owl Eyes was still staring at the dead mouse. “Should I pounce first?”
    â€œLeave the mouse.” Acorn Fur’s pelt pricked. “We’ll collect it on the way back.”
    Thunder saw the reproachful glance she flashed Clear Sky as she passed and gave her a sympathetic shrug.
    Clear Sky didn’t seem to notice. He was gazing between the trees, narrowing his eyes. “Someone’s coming.”
    Thunder pricked his ears as Acorn Fur herded Owl Eyes and Sparrow Fur past the bramble and into a swath of bracken. Paws were pounding over the forest floor toward them. He tasted the air. Lightning Tail!
    His friend burst from under a low jutting branch and skidded to a halt on the wet leaves. “Where’s Acorn Fur?”
    â€œShe just left.”
    â€œIs she still training Sparrow Fur and Owl Eyes? I promised I’d help.” Lightning Tail glanced around. “Which way did she go?”
    Clear Sky snorted. “Through the bracken. Can’t you smell her?”
    â€œAll I can