“Let me try.” Lionpaw copied his sister.

“Now you smell like a couple of mushrooms,” Jaypaw complained.

“It’ll be good camouflage,” Hollypaw pointed out.

“Poor Cinderpaw’ll think she’s being stalked by toadstools,” Lionpaw mewed.

Jaypaw pricked his ears. “Shh!” He could hear the undergrowth rustling in the distance. The scents of Sandstorm, Cloudtail, and Thornclaw drifted on the early-morning breeze. “Follow me, and keep quiet.”

He began to creep forward as though stalking prey, but a tree root snagged his paw and he stumbled.

“I’ll lead,” Lionpaw whispered. “Tell me which way to go.”

“Straight ahead,” Jaypaw muttered, letting Lionpaw slide past him. “Thornclaw and the others are right in front of us.”

After crawling a few tail-lengths through the undergrowth, Hollypaw tugged on Jaypaw’s tail. “I can hear them,” she hissed.

Jaypaw had already heard Thornclaw’s deep mew. “I hope you’re ready,” he was telling Poppypaw.

“There’s a bramble bush here,” Lionpaw warned. “Stay close behind me and keep low.”

Ducking, Jaypaw crawled after his brother, feeling the barbs scrape his pelt.

Cloudtail’s voice was clear now. “I know you will all do your best. But remember, you are not competing against one another, only yourselves.”

“You can’t help one another, either,” Sandstorm warned. “This is a test of your solo hunting skills.”

“And we shall be watching you, though you may not see us,” Thornclaw meowed.

Lionpaw halted, and Jaypaw wriggled alongside him, feeling the brambles pressing down on his back. Hollypaw pushed in as well. “This is so exciting!”

“Shh!” Lionpaw hissed.

From the sound of it, the warriors and their apprentices were only a foxtail ahead of them. Jaypaw trusted that Lionpaw had chosen a spot where they were still well hidden, and hoped the mushroom dirt was enough to hide their scents. The air pricked with the excitement of the three apprentices waiting to begin their assessment.

“Cinderpaw can hardly sit still,” Hollypaw commented.

“Poor Honeypaw looks petrified,” Lionpaw whispered. “But Poppypaw looks as calm as a vixen.”

“Nothing fazes Poppypaw,” Hollypaw mewed.

Hopefulness and determination mingled in the air like meadow scent.

“Good luck,” Thornclaw meowed.

The three warriors melted into the forest, leaving the apprentices alone.

“Where shall I hunt?” Honeypaw mewed nervously.

“Trust your instinct,” Poppypaw advised. “I’m heading this way.”

Jaypaw heard Poppypaw’s paw steps heading toward the bramble where he and his littermates hid. Not daring to back away in case he set the bush shivering, he flattened himself against the ground. Lionpaw and Hollypaw tensed beside him, holding their breath as Poppypaw’s pelt brushed the leaves of the bush.

Don’t let her see us!

Hollypaw dug her claws into the soft earth.

Shh! Jaypaw stiffened. Then he let out a relieved sigh as the apprentice’s paw steps scuffed away up the slope.

“She’s heading to the shore,” Hollypaw guessed.

“Honeypaw’s going the other way,” Lionpaw mewed.

“What about Cinderpaw?” Jaypaw asked.