Third challenge for Warriors Challenge forum! I just can't stop writing and their challenges are so fun.

Memories of life

I sat outside the Elders den as Nightstar completed a ceremony. Snowpaw was finally getting her warrior name. I can remember my most recent ceremony as easily as hunting. My ceremony from a warrior into an elder. My blindness in my right eye was causing me many mistakes in my battles which explained the many scars on my body.

"Coldfoot, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go to join the elders?" Nightstar questioned.

"It is," my voice shook as I gave up my warriorship and the one thing I had been working for the whole of my life, the chance to become leader.

"Your Clan honours you and all the service you have given us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest," Nightstar continued.

"Coldfoot, Coldfoot, Coldfoot," my Clanmates chanted.

"Then I give you your warrior name, Snowdapple," Nightstar finished the newly name Snwodapple's ceremony off.

"Snowdapple," I rasped with the rest of the Clan.

My warrior days were probably the best days of my Clan life. I didn't have to put up with blindness as I didn't become blind in the one eye until my second to last battle. I was the Shadowclan warrior that everyone looked up to and admired. Not because of any great thoughts because of my fighting skills, which if I'm honest wasn't the best thing to be admired for. It meant that most kits were scared of me.

I padded into the ShadowClan camp, carrying a toad and a newt. My hunting had done reasonably well. A group of kits were playing fighting near the nursery. Snowkit saw me and bounded over. "Coldfoot! Can you teach us a fighting move?" Her two brothers chased after her eager to learn too: Berrykit and Brackenkit."

"Watch and learn," I smiled. I crouched down before leaping into the air twisting round in the air. I kicked out with my hindlegs and landed squarely on the ground. Berrykit carelessly tried to copy immediately. It was all going well until he kicked out with his hindlegs and hit Snowkit in the face. Snowkit wailed before running off to her mother. Thankfully there were no scars. Unfortunately that incident did leave me unable to go to the next three gatherings.

I smiled as I remembered how excited I was the day I was given my warrior name.

"Coldpaw, please come forward," Petalstar ordered. In excitement I raced forwards as fast as I could but tripped over my paws in the meantime. Quite a few cats laughed when I landed with my face in the dust. But I didn't care. This was what I had been waiting for my entire life. I was finally becoming a warrior. All my days of training and practicing had pulled off. It was finally my turn! "I, Petalstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Coldpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

I bounced around excitedly. "I do!"

"Then by the powers of StarClan," Petalstar continued. "I give you your warrior name. Coldpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Coldfoot. StarClan honours your bravery and skill and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

"Coldfoot! Coldfoot!" The Clan chanted. I puffed out my chest as Petalstar rested her muzzle on my head.

I smiled to myself as I watched the Clan continue to do their duties. Birdpaw was begging his mentor to take him out hunting which reminded me of my apprentice days. If I was perfectly honest, I wasn't the best behaved apprentice but when the time came I used to always try my best. I can still remember my first prey!

I jumped out of my nest and hurried out of the apprentice's den eager to start my day's training. To my surprise, I didn't have to wait for my mentor, Sandbreeze as she was already up and waiting for me. "What are we doing today?" I asked.

"You are going to try catching prey for the first time," Sandbreeze mewed. Petalstar will be watching as I need to be somewhere. Sandbreeze nodded to Petalstar who padded over. "Coldpaw's ready to go."

"Right, thank you Sandbreeze," Petalstar mewed. "Follow me Coldpaw. And keep up." Petalstar raced up. At first I struggled to keep up but soon managed to find a pace that I could do but still be able to keep up with Petalstar.

It felt like we had been running for moons by the time we finally stopped. And when we did stop I felt so tired I didn't think I'd be able to hunt properly but I wanted to show Petalstar what a great warrior I would one day make. "Get hunting," Petalstar ordered. I scented the air and soon caught the scent of a squirrel. It took me a while but I finally found its hunting place. I crouched down and carefully placed one paw quietly in front of the other. I was just positioning myself to jump when I stepped on a twig. It made a loud noise as it snapped and the squirrel darted off. I wasn't going to let it get away that easily and I darted after it. I decided I was as close as I would manage to get to it so I jumped. I almost choked once I had caught it because its bushy tail was in my mouth. I slit its throat with my claw to finish it off before dropping it and murmuring my thanks to StarClan. I took a glance at Petalstar who looked impressed.

I could never forget my first prey. I was so proud of myself for catching that it had been such a great feeling. I heard a noise near the entrance of the camp and saw Thistlekit sneaking out. He was almost 6 moons and I decided there was no point in telling anyone as every kit sneaks out at least once during their kithood. I can still remember the time I did.

I was bored. There was nothing to do and most of the warriors and apprentices were out of camp. It was so unfair that kits weren't allowed out. If I was bored why didn't I do something to entertain myself? I decided to go and explore the territory. It wasn't hard to sneak out as there were hardly any warriors in camp. The time I spent out in the territory wasn't very interesting. It had just been raining so all the prey was in their burrows but I felt free of the nursery and I felt like a warrior which was one good thing.

I know my life is nearly over now but when it's my time to join StarClan, I'll leave ShadowClan knowing I had a good life.