Free Outcast by Erin Hunter

training session, the one Tigerstar had shown him. But when she tried to hook out Honeypaw’s legs from under her, Honeypaw was too fast. Leaping backward, she met Poppypaw head-on and delivered two blows to her nose before darting away.
    â€œYou’ll need to be quicker than that,” Berrynose meowed.
    Lionpaw bristled. Firestar had released the two young warriors from their apprentice duties, but didn’t Berrynose have anything better to do than interfere in the training session? He was sprawled on a rock at the edge of the clearing, making loud comments on the apprentices’ performance.
    â€œThat was very good,” he remarked condescendingly to Honeypaw. “Your moves are coming along nicely.”
    â€œThanks, Berrynose!” Honeypaw blinked adoringly at the cream-colored warrior.
    Lionpaw stifled a twinge of jealousy. Not long ago, Honeypaw had seemed to like him best. It was hard to lose her admiration so soon after he had been forced to give up his friendship with Heatherpaw.
    â€œYour turn, Lionpaw!” Berrynose broke into his thoughts. “Let’s see what you can do.”
    Who made you my mentor? Lionpaw glanced around the clearing for Ashfur, who should have been in charge of the training session, but he was several fox-lengths away, demonstrating a move to Hollypaw.
    â€œCome on, you lazy lump,” Berrynose urged him. “You’ll never get to be a warrior sitting on your tail all day.”
    No? Lionpaw gritted his teeth. If I looked at you, I’d think that’s all warriors do!
    â€œCome on, Cinderpaw,” he meowed, beckoning with his tail to the gray apprentice who sat at the side of the clearing. “Let’s practice.”
    Cinderpaw bounced up to him, her fur bristling with eagerness and her tail fluffed out. She was moving confidently, Lionpaw thought, as if the leg she had injured felt fine. As she approached, she aimed a blow at his ear with sheathed claws. He dodged to one side and tried to unbalance her by butting his head into her shoulder, but Cinderpaw stayed on her feet and wrapped her forepaws around his neck, thrusting him to the ground. Lionpaw battered at her belly with his hind paws. After a few heartbeats Cinderpaw let go and sprang away from him, waiting for him to get up again.
    â€œThat was great!” he panted. He knew he would have won eventually.
    Cinderpaw was glowing with pride that she was getting her fighting skill back again. “Let’s try again!”
    â€œYou know, Lionpaw, you got that move all wrong,”Berrynose interrupted. “You should never have let her knock you over. If that had been a real fight, she could have bitten your throat out.”
    Lionpaw spun around to face him; hot fury flooded through him from ears to tail tip. “I suppose you found that out when you were fighting ShadowClan,” he taunted.
    Berrynose sprang off the rock, his ears flattened and his neck fur standing on end. “Don’t talk to a warrior like that!” he spat.
    â€œThen stop being such a know-it-all!” Lionpaw retorted. “You’re not my mentor, so stay out of my fur.”
    For two mouse tails he would have hurled himself at Berrynose and raked his claws across the cream warrior’s muzzle. But he knew he would be in big trouble if he attacked a Clanmate for real, not as part of a training bout. Turning his back on Berrynose, he stormed off to the side of the clearing, where he stood with his flanks heaving, trying to control the waves of rage that surged through him.
    â€œJust wait till I’m a warrior,” he vowed under his breath. “Then I’ll show you who’s best at fighting.”
    â€œTake it easy, Lionpaw.” The calm voice felt like a draft of cool water. At first Lionpaw thought it must be Tigerstar, and he looked around for the shadowy tabby figure. Instead, he spotted Stormfur sunning himself in a quiet patch of sunlight at the foot of an