-Author's Note-
This is for the LawlClan monthly writing challenge. "What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?" -John Green [Author]
I would like to thank me friend Coqui's Song for being my beta-reader. :D
And I would like to thank all of you for reading. :)
Excitement. It drenched me from nose to tail-tip, sending waves of energy coursing through my body. I felt like I could fly like the very bird I was named after.
Even though I had to run to get the message of the attack back to camp, I came back and fought! And I did quite well, if I say so myself. Bluestar was there too; she'd probably seen me in combat! This could be my chance to become a warrior! I thought, pride and delight welling up inside of me as I tuned out my fellow apprentices who were chatting about the battle.
I had seen the unmistakable flaming coat of Fireheart walking into Bluestar's den, my guess to report, and maybe discuss my warrior ceremony! Surely I had been an apprentice long enough, and I had been doing quite well the past moon. My mentor had been pressing Fireheart to get Bluestar to make me a warrior.
My white tail-tip twitched impatiently as I ogled at the leader s den, wishing that I could see through the lichen wall that blocked my view, and that I could hear what Bluestar and Fireheart were saying with some sort of super sense. But that was impossible, of course.
I flicked my ears as I noticed my mentor, padding away from Cinderpelt and towards us, with his tail held high and blue eyes shining with pride. When he was a tail-length away, he meowed, "You did a great job today!"
"Thanks, Longtail! I fought as hard as I could!" I held my black-and-white head high.
"I would expect nothing less from my apprentice." The pale tabby purred, flicking his tail across my muzzle.
I cleared my throat before asking my next question. "Do you think I did well enough to become a warrior?" I questioned, hating how my voice held an anxious tone.
"Bluestar would be a fool not to make you one, Swiftpaw," Longtail reassured me, followed by the meows of agreements from Thornpaw and Brightpaw.
As if on cue, Fireheart exited the leader's den. We watched mutely as Fireheart first made his way towards Cloudpaw, exchanging a pawful of words with him. Whatever he had told his apprentice, it was good news by the way Cloudpaw reacted.
Then Fireheart started towards us. My heart leaped like a squirrel in a tree. That meant I was going to be a warrior, right? Why else would Fireheart come over to us? My hopes were high as Firesheart jerked his muzzle at Longtail, a silent command that the deputy wanted to talk to my mentor.
Thornpaw, Brightpaw and I exchanged a glance as the padded out of earshot. I swished my tail happily over the earth. "They have to be talking about promoting me to warrior status, right?" I chimed, "I mean, why else would Fireheart be talking to Longtail? And you guys should be made warriors too! You two have been training almost as long as me!"
"I can't think of any other reason." Brightpaw nodded, her voice shifting into a purr of delight.
Thornpaw gave a nod of agreement, flicking his tail as excitement sparked in his eyes. "Hopefully," he meowed.
Before I had a chance to respond, Longtail was already padding towards us, and I sprang up, trotting a couple tail-lengths to greet him. I was shocked to find not glee shining in his eyes, but a dark anger flickering in his blue gaze. I felt my heart drop. What had Fireheart told him? Or was he angry I might have been becoming a warrior?
"What's wrong?"
"Well, you're not going to become a warrior," the pale tabby spat. "That filthy little kittypet, Cloudpaw, is going to become a warrior instead! It's all Fireheart's fault; if he hadn't sent you to get reinforcements, you would've been there to show off your fighting!"
My eyes widened in shock, though any surprise was quickly replaced with the same fury my mentor held in his eyes. "What?"
Rage. It threatened to cause my heart to burst as anger boiled my blood, causing the fur of the back of my neck to bristle and my tail to lash. I felt like tearing my claws across Fireheart's face.
My claws slid out, digging into the ground as I hissed, my ears flattening back onto my head. I drew in a sharp breath, the cool leaf-fall air filling my lungs. Even without a puddle to see my reflection, I knew that anger was blazing in my amber eyes.
I couldn't believe that load of fox dung. Why did he get to be a warrior? Why? I was clearly more experienced, and I was born in ThunderClan, not in a Twoleg den. And why did Fireheart send me back to camp? I would've been more help fighting than Cloudpaw!
I had no intention of calming myself as I let out another fury-coated hiss. In another heartbeat, I whipped around, thrashing my tail as I shoved my way into the apprentice's den.
The most of that day was a blur. I remember Brightpaw nudging me out of my nest so that I could attend Cloudpaw's warrior ceremony. I didn't want to, but I didn't argue. All I did was take a nice seat near the edge of the clearing. The other apprentices, besides the one being made a warrior, joined me. Bluestar gave Cloudpaw the warrior name Cloudtail. How mouse-brained was that? But I remember her words sounding so scathing, so empty as she gave Cloudtail his new name. When we were supposed to chant his new name, the Clan fell into silence. I wasn't sure if it was Cloudtail becoming a warrior instead of me, or if it was the ridicule in Bluestar's voice when she spoke of StarClan. I believe Brindleface, his foster mother, was the first to break the awkward silence that blanketed the in the clearing. Then the rest of the Clan joined in.
What I do remember very clearly is what happened after the ceremony. I gathered up Brightpaw, Thornpaw, Ashpaw and Fernpaw in the apprentice's den, careful not to attract too much attention as I nosed them in. "What is it Swiftpaw?" Brightpaw asked, adopting a curious look in her eyes.
"We all know that I should have become a warrior today. Brightpaw and Thornpaw too. We are all passed due. We've been training for too long, and proved ourselves more times than an elder has seen the sunrise," I started, keeping my tone hushed so that no stray cats could hear us from outside the den. "We need to do something spectacular for us to become warriors, and I have a plan. We need to figure out what is taking the prey at Snakerocks. If we figure out that we'll all have to become warriors."
My amber eyes flickered between the four apprentices, eagerly waiting their answers. Thornpaw angled his head towards Brightpaw, as if to ask his sister's opinion while Ashpaw and Fernpaw studied their paws. Brightpaw gave the slightest shake of her head. "Are you sure, Swiftpaw? I'm disappointed that we weren't made warriors, but Bluestar can't keep us apprentices forever. We'll all become warriors eventually, and we shouldn't make rash decisions like this. Maybe Bluestar will change her mind!"
"I'm going to have to agree with her. We'll become warriors when Bluestar thinks we're ready, even if we don't agree. Plus, we shouldn't go without orders, or at least without another warrior with us," Thornpaw added.
The frustration with my fellow apprentices and my rage towards Bluestar caused my fur to bristle. My claws dug into the ground, tail lashing back and forth. "Did you two seriously just say that? As long as Bluestar is leader, we might as well throw the idea of becoming warriors off the gorge unless we do something really brave!" I spat. "C'mon!"
I averted my eyes from the older apprentices to the younger ones. When they didn't do anything but exchange an uneasy glance, I sprang to my paws. "Fine, I'll go alone!" fury seethed in my voice.
Just as I was about to exit the apprentice's den, Brightpaw spoke up. "Wait, Swiftpaw, I'll go with you! Please wait!"
"We'll leave before dawn tomorrow," I murmured without turning around to face her, then left the den and headed toward the fresh-kill pile.
Usually in the mornings, I would have peeked open one eye, then blinked open the other. A few heartbeats later I would've given a mighty stretch in my nest, followed by a drowsy yawn. I then would get up, shuffling out of the apprentice's den before stretching again. But I didn't do this on my last sunrise; I was going to prove to my Clan I was going to become a warrior. I woke with a start, getting off my tail and onto my paws in a heartbeat. Quickly, I prodded Brightpaw until she blinked her eyes open. I was pretty eager to set off to Snakerocks.
Brightpaw's white muzzle parted in a large yawn, squeezing her eyes shut as she did so. "C'mon," I urged, my voice hardly more than a whisper so I wouldn't wake the other apprentices.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Brightpaw murmured, uncertainty clear in her eyes.
I flicked my tail. "Yes."
I poked my nose out of the den, glancing around to find that the clearing was empty, despite Cloudtail who was on guard, and he looked half asleep anyways. Slithering out, I made sure to keep my paw steps quiet as if I was stalking a mouse. Instead of using the usual camp entrance, Brightpaw and I snuck out through a wall of ferns.
We charged through the undergrowth, our paws sending fallen leaves into the air. My anger drove me forward, faster and faster. A wretched smell filled my senses as we neared Snakerocks. It was worse than what RiverClan smelled like, and much stronger.
I slowed as a fallen log blocked out path, but quickly climbed up the side, my paws scraping against the bark. "Swiftpaw, be careful!" I heard Brightpaw hiss from behind me.
Perching at the top, I narrowed my eyes at the pile of infested rocks just ahead of us. I flicked my ears, craning my neck around. "Don't worry," I replied, "There's nothing here!"
But just then, a giant shape lunged out of the cave.
Terror. It made my heart beat out of my chest, making my fur stand on end. I felt paralyzed as the beast charged at me.
I barely had time to react to the massive dog; it was on me in a heartbeat. Its jaws closed around my neck, shaking me as if I was a piece of prey. And I sure felt like one. Agonizing shocks of pain jolted through me, making me feel as if I was on fire. I could feel the dog's teeth digging into my flesh. My vision was going blurry.
No.
It shook my once more before I let out a violent snarl. Lashing about in the beast's jaws, I spat and hissed. I don't know how long I was in the dogs jaws, or how many times my claws made contact with its face. But I do know that I fought as hard as I could. Finally, my claws finally dug into something softer than skin; an eye. The dog let out an abysmal-sounding cry of pain.
The pressure and pain in my neck lessoned until the dog flung me to the other side of the clearing. Without hesitating, I scrambled to my paws, hardly able to carry my own weight as I turned to fight the dog. My own blood and fear-scent were overwhelming.
Luckily, Brightpaw was there in an instant, crouched beside me. Our eyes met. We could do it, right? With two of us and only one dog, the odds were in our favor.
The dog's pitiful noises grew into more of a growl as it seemed to instantly forget the wounds I had caused. With its teeth barred, the dog crept towards us. It lowered its head close to the ground as its eyes gleamed with something I had never witnessed; pure evil.
Brightpaw was the first to strike, lashing her claws across the dog's face. But while she attacked the dog, I was frozen with fear. There wasn't just one dog anymore, there were six more scattered across the clearing, and by what I could tell, they were all much bigger than us.
"Pack, pack," the dog who attacked us snarled. "Kill, kill."
And that was when they all sprang.
My mind swirled as yips, barks, howls burst into my ears. I felt like collapsing to the ground, but then something came over me. I knew I was going to die. I knew I was never going to be a warrior. But I wasn't scared anymore.
Determination. It gave be the power to fight over the pain, drenching me in strength. I felt like I could kill every one of those dogs.
Sure, I would never be a warrior, but I could at least be remembered for doing something outstanding. That was my goal now. What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? I thought to myself.
Screeching, hissing, spitting and about any other ferocious noise I could make came out of my throat. I used every move that I could remember.
My claws raked across a brown-and-black dog's face.
That was for Longtail.
I clamped my jaws as hard as I could another dog's ear.
That was for Brightpaw.
Rolling under a canine, I slashed my claws across its underbelly.
That was for Goldenflower.
I sprung up and landed on the largest dog's back, digging my claws in until the mutt yelped in pain.
And that was for ThunderClan.
After a snarl of triumph, I continued to claw into the dog's back, its companions snapping at me as it veered to the side of the clearing. That's when I realized that if I leapt off, I might have be able climb up a tree. In a single heartbeat I had lunged into the air, another heartbeat later I was clinging to the tree, claws digging into the bark as I struggled to pull myself up. But the dogs were too big, too powerful. Their giant paws sent me back to the ground, causing me to land awkwardly on the tree's root. It took me another heartbeat to get back on my paws. It took me one heartbeat too long.
A dog's jaws clamped around my head. The pain was borderline unbearable. Excruciating wouldn't be enough to describe it, but I kept fighting, clawing, struggling with my eyes glaring and my jaws parting in a snarl.
Then it was all over.
I died fulfilling my last wish. I died doing something remarkable.