"C'mon, Blazepaw!"
Blazepaw turned to see the impatient as ever Frostpaw. She was waiting for him to finish up his vole so they could go hunting together. Blazepaw finished his last few bites and went to join her.
"Why do you always take so long to eat?" She asked him.
"At least I savor my food," Blazepaw grumbled. Why'd did he have to get stuck with Frostpaw? Any cat but her! Going hunting with her was like trying to pull a giant thorn out of your paw. "You just hork it down." Frostpaw sniffed at the remark but made no comment.
"Let's just get on with it." She meowed as she exited camp. "I want to make the suffering short and sweet this time." Frostpaw was nastier than usual today, but Blazepaw was determined not to let her ruin his day, especially since he was going to be tested today.
He tasted the air. The trees, stirring from their leafbare slumber, whispered songs of new leaf in the wind, their new leaves gently swaying in the air of sunrise. Blazepaw loved the scent of the forest. It reminded him of the freedom he had as an apprentice. As a kit, he'd been shut-up inside the nursery with no cat but nasty Frostpaw and her much more pleasant sister, Dawnpaw, to play with. There was another litter but they were younger than Blazepaw. Now the litter was ready to be apprenticed.
He was glad he was an apprentice, even if he had to put up with dumb old Frostpaw and her nastiness.
"I smell squirrel." Frostpaw remarked. Blazepaw did too. "Do you smell something weird?"
Blazepaw gave the air another taste. There was something odd, but at the smell of fresh prey Blazepaw's mouh watered.
"Probably just some crowfood some-cat forgot to retrieve." Blazepaw meowed dismissing his gut feelings that something was wrong. Frostpaw gave the air another taste.
"Maybe," She meowed hestitantly, but after giving the air another quick taste she too seemed to perk up at the smell of fresh squirrel. "We're losing that squirrel, you know. I'm going to catch the most fresh-kill today!"
"Yeah right!" Blazepaw taunted.
"Are you challenging me?" Frostpaw meowed. A small twinkle of determination gleamed in her eye.
"You bet I am!" Blazepaw meowed. If there was one thing that kept Frostpaw from being so nasty it was competition.
After a vigorous hunting session they returned with their mouths full of fresh-kill. They'd ended up in a tie with 3 pieces each. Blazepaw was happy it was a tie. If Frostpaw had won she'd have gloated all day but if she'd have lost she would've sulked all day. Even though Blazepaw had really wanted to beat Frostpaw tying was a great compromise.
"I see your hunt was successful," Whitestar purred. Blazepaw and Frostpaw glowed with pride. Praise from their leader was rare. "You can each choose one piece and go see your mentors."
After placing his kill he carefully chose a vole. Voles were his favorite type of fresh-kill. He wanted to fuel up before being tested to become a warrior on his favorite meal. For some reason it was important to him that what could be one of his final meals be a vole.
"Are you done yet?" Frostpaw meowed impatiently. She was licking her mouth after wolfing down a mouse. Blazepaw sighed as he finished up his vole. Truth be told, this time Blazepaw was impatient too. He wanted to get tested to become a warrior just as much-if not more- than Frostpaw.
Breezepelt, Finchwing, Riverheart, and Whitestar were waiting by the exit of camp.
"Here they are." Riverheart meowed. Riverheart was a slender dark brown tabby tom with eyes like the sky. He was Dawnpaw's mentor. "Now just for Dawnpaw to come back from Mapleleaf. She fell into a nasty thorn bush and Mapleleaf is treating her now."
"Is she okay?" Blazepaw asked.
"Last I saw her she was," Riverheart reassured him.
"Sorry I am late," Dawnpaw padded up beside Blazepaw. Dawnpaw was a beaitiful tortishell with soft amber eyes. "I am ready now. Mapleleaf said so."
"You're fine," Whitestar meowed. "Now, for your assessment Finchwing, Breezepelt, Riverheart, and I will-"
"You mean you're watching us too?!" Frostpaw exclaimed, she stood up so fast it was like she'd sat on a sharp thorn.
"Well, I don't see why not," The White warrior meowed. "After all, I do take great pride in the upbringing of our young warriors."
Frostpaw, for the first time ever, seemed nervous. Dawnpaw seemed unfazed. She may have been told about it in advance.
"Anyway for your assessment your job is to go on patrol," Whitestar continued. "You will be reassessing our borders and making sure our senior warriors didn't, well, miss anything earlier." The pause in Whitestar's voice made Blazepaw wonder what exactly he ment by miss something. "Report back here when you're done. I expect some good results!"
Breezepelt gave Blazepaw a small nuzzle of good luck. "Make me proud," The red tabby meowed softly in his ear. She always smelt like fresh catmint and had been an encouraging and kind mentor. However she never went soft on Blazepaw. From sunrise to its set she would push Blazepaw. Making him do the same moves over and over again, praising him when he got it right, paitent with him when he got it wrong.
Blazepaw could feel his heart pounding through his chest. He was nervous. He wondered if Breezepelt could feel it too. If she did, she didn't make any remark or action about it.
After Frostpaw and Dawnpaw had finished up they left camp and began the patrol. Blazepaw thought his heart was going to explode through his chest.
"I am so nervous," Dawnpaw commented. "I've never been more nervous about anything in my life."
Blazepaw nodded. "Me too, then again, I haven't lived long enough to be nervous about much," Except when I'm around you, he added silently. Dawnpaw let out a mrow of laughter. Her laugh gentle upon Blazepaw's ears. He held back a contented purr.
"If we don't pay attention we'll never be warriors!" Frostpaw hissed angrily. Her eyes like thorns into Blazepaw's heart. Was she ever satisfied with others? He couldn't imagine being her sister. Dawnpaw was always so patient, so kind to her sharp tounged sister.
"Relax, Frostpaw," Dawnpaw mewed softly. "Even warriors can share a good laugh. No need to snap at us."
Frostpaw just gave her a look that suggested she was considering slashing at Dawnpaw's throat then and there before turning away.
Blazepaw sighed. Frostpaw was right, they did need to start paying attention. He gave the air a taste. There it was, that strange smell, once again in the air. Only this time the scent was fresher, and tainted with blood. He gave it another sniff and was about to alert the others when Frostpaw's yowl interupted his thoughts.
The white apprentice was staring above Blazepaw with obvious horror in her eyes. Dawnpaw crouched beside her. What was going on?
"Behind you," Dawnpaw managed. Her normally soft voice was little more than a squeak filled with fear. Blazepaw turned to see a fox glaring right back at him.
Author's Note: I do plan on redoing a few of my earlier chapters but that remains to be seen. Right now my schedule barely permits to post as it is. So this is just a warning that if you come back and the chapter is completely redone you'll know why! ;D Happy reading! Reviews on how I can improve are always appreciated! :)
