Thank you so much to all my favers/followers/reviewers! Please remember to review this chapter as well!
Rosepaw crouched and began to crawl toward the mouse. Closer... closer... She leaped, and the mouse looked up- but too little, too late. Rosepaw's claws stabbed into its neck as the mouse shuddered and died.
"Great catch, Rosepaw!" called her mentor, Flamestep, as he walked out of the bushes. "Almost perfect. You were quiet as a..." he gestured to the mouse in her jaws "...mouse, and you kept yourself downwind, too. The only thing I would change is..." Rosepaw twitched an ear as she listened. She could have sworn something moved behind him... yes, there it was again.
"Wait, wait, shh." Rosepaw silenced her mentor. He looked about to contradict her when the bush rustled again.
"Dryfur! Quit moving! You're going to blow our cover!" whispered a voice.
"Well, I didn't blow our cover just now. You did."
"what! No! If you hadn't been-"
"Don't you make this my-"
"Quit fighting you tw-"
"We know you're in there. You may as well come out." mewed Rosepaw dryly. Three warriors of AspenClan crawled out, their faces ashamed.
"W-we were going to launch a raid..." muttered a handsome black tom about Rosepaw's age. A dusty-looking brown tom cuffed him over the ear. "Shut up! You've ruined it! All your fault. We'll just have to go hungry this leaf-bare!"
The final cat, a dark yellow tabby with amber eyes, crawled out.
"Oh, enough of your antics, Dryfur. We all know you'd avoid trouble at all costs and be quick to hoist the blame on someone other than you. Really, now, who're you going to blame next? Her?" She gestured to Rosepaw. "That tree? The dead mouse?" the golden she-cat asked sarcastically. Grumbling, Dryfur sat back. "Wasn't my fault. Never my fault. Everyone always blames me."
The black tom with the silver-blue eyes turned to Rosepaw. "Sorry about Dryfur, and the whole raid thing. We only needed a few pieces of prey, honest. Our Clan's been struggling to survive just the fall, and..." He sighed. "Well, here we are now. I'm Nightpaw."
Rosepaw studied him. He seemed friendly, and honest, but who could she trust? "Um... I'm Rosepaw." she mewed uneasily.
Flamestep gestured to her with his orange tail. "if you're quite finished, we'll be escorting these three..." he glared at the cats. They shuffled their paws, all except for Dryfur, who rolled her eyes and muttered, "wasn't me. They should let me go. Sundust was the one that talked us into this. I would never stoop so low as to do such a despicable, horrible thing such as this. Why are they blaming..."
Dryfur's tirade was interrupted by a poke from Sundust. "Would it kill you to be honest?" Rosepaw heard the she-cat mutter as they marched towards camp. "yes." growled Dryfur. Nightpaw ran to catch up with Rosepaw. "You have some very nice territory here." he meowed. Rosepaw stiffened her pace and walked faster. Nightpaw easily kept pace. "No, really." Rosepaw rolled her eyes. "Please be quiet. You've caused me enough trouble as it is." He quieted at that and fell back into step with his Clanmates. They walked through the bramble entrance and into camp.
"Oceanstar! We have three vagabonds here in need of questioning!" Heads poked out of dens at that, and whispers flooded the clearing. "Who... why... where..." Oceanstar strolled up. "Mhm... yes. Why don't you two-" he motioned to Dryfur and Sundust- "...and Flamestep come with me. Rosepaw, stay here and watch Nightpaw."
Rosepaw sighed. I wish I could go with them to the questioning... Nightpaw looked at her. "They expect you to watch me, huh? What do they think I am, a kit?" He raised his mew to a squeak. "Oh, look at me, I'm a kit, I want a badger ride, I like moss! I'm hungry! Why can't I be an apprentice! Idon'wannatakeanap! mamaaaa!"
In spite of herself, Rosepaw laughed. She was just about to make a wisecrack in return when- "Okay, Nightpaw, head home and tell your leader no more of this "raid" nonsense, or next time we won't be so kind." Oceanstar meowed. "Rosepaw, as the final part of your assessment, you will escort them to the border safely and quickly." Rosepaw nodded, and beckoned for them to follow her. As they neared the Aspen-Oak border, Nightpaw whispered- "In seven sunrises, meet me at the oak tree by the Crumbled-Square." Rosepaw didn't even have a chance to respond before he and his comrades raced off into the dusk shadows.