Hey. . . Sorry 'bout the slow update time, but I've been running out of ideas. . . so expect short, uneventful stories or something for the next few days. . . I'm sorry, but. . . yeah. On with the chapter.
Archpaw stalked in the dry, frost-encrusted grass, following the trail of a rabbit. It was good luck to find one at this time of the year. It was cold, and most of the Clan have switched to thicker, warmer pelts for the freezing leaf-bare. Archpaw was being sent out on a solo mission to bring back as much prey as possible for her final assessment before she ascended to become a warrior.
Archpaw's ears flicked up, listening for sound in the frigid air. She angled her ears and head slowly, and caught rustling off to the left. She carefully pivoted, quietly gliding through the brittle grass like a StarClan cat, weaving her paws between dry twigs and crackly leaves. She peeked over the edges of the grass, and sighted a rabbit. . . No, two. Her pelt tingled in excitement. This was her chance to prove herself!
She advanced one step. . . Another. . . until she was almost directly over the two unsuspecting rabbits. She pounced, reaching out both forearms to gather the frightened prey together, and she bit down on one's spine. It stopped struggling. She let it fall to the ground with a thump. The other stared up at her and wriggled helplessly. She bit down again, the warm scent of blood flooding the roof of her mouth and her nostrils. She let out purr of satisfaction. She dragged the rabbits along, straining her neck to lift the two heavy weights.
Archpaw stopped along the way to get some other catches she had buried. Holding two mice by their tails in her jaws and draping the rabbits on her back, she began her tenuous journey back to camp, the sun dipping just below the horizon, meeting the edge of the forest behind the other side of the lake. The sliver apprentice had been hunting all day, and now, her assignment for today was done.
Staggering through the bramble-woven entrance of the camp, she winced as her hindquarters snagged on some thorns, leaving a tuft of silver-gray fur entangled in the brambles. Behind her, a purr of amusement came from a young tom. Eveningpaw, amber eyes glimmering, padded through the entrance of camp and menuevered his head through the brambles, and gently tugged the clump of silver hairs out. His dark gray pelt glimmering in the sunset, Archpaw couldn't help thinking that he was aptly named. He seemed truly beautiful in the evening, handsome face and warm honey-amber eyes. . . Archpaw shook her head, shaking these thoughts to the back of her mind. That could wait.
The dark gray tom mewed, "You have to be more careful with your butt, Archpaw," Snickering, he tumbled away, out of Archpaw's reach, but noticed that she couldn't move far under the weight of her catches. His eyes widened, and he gasped. "Wow! You really had a lucky day, didn't you?"
"Mrrrrph, not at the moment," Archpaw replied. Eveningpaw offered help, but Archpaw shook her head, missing his look of hurt across his face and headed uneasily towards Arcticstar's den. As soon as she got there, her mentor stopped talking with Bearscar, the medicine cat, and adapted a mask of calm. Bearscar did the same, and Archpaw felt a twinge of uneasiness.
Arcticstar surveyed her catch and purred, "Well done! Go put those in the prey pile, will you? Tomorrow we'll do your battle assessment." Archpaw nodded and went to restock the fresh-kill pile. She took a scrawny, young rabbit that smelled like Runninglight had caught it, and tore off its haunch.
She dispatched her meal quickly, and in moments, it was gone. She stalked back to the apprentice den, exhausted, and curled up next to an already-sleeping Eveningpaw. In moments, all of her worries gave away to deep, tranquil and liquid darkness.
The next day, her battle assessment went well. She defeated all other apprentices, but had more difficulty with the mentors. But she passed, and if all went well for Shadepaw, Leopardpaw, and Eveningpaw, then Arcticstar would hold their warrior ceremony at dawn tomorrow.
Excitement coursed through the four apprentice's veins, diving them on.
And above, StarClan was about to regret the choice they were about to make.
Someone was not going to see the sunrise tomorrow.
Watch, but not interfere.
Do not interfere, StarClan echoed over and over again, an endless song of the night sky.