Barkpaw looked up at the sky and sighed. It's been three sunrises since Starclan visited her and she still trying to figure out what they told her. Oh and Spottedpaw still thinks she likes him and so does Rockpaw. Barkpaw let out another sigh and walked back into the apprentice den. Petalpaw was just getting up, once she saw Barkpaw she sneered.
"You smell like Shadowclan! Do you ever wash yourself?"
Barkpaw's eyes widen as Petalpaw walked out of the den, quickly she started to wash her fur. 'I thought I got the scent off of me…I'm going to have to start rolling around the lake if I'm not more careful'
"Barkpaw?" Graystripe poked his head in the apprentice den then scrunched his nose up. "Yuk it smells like Shadowclan in here…anyway Firestar said it's time for your assessment! Do you know what an assessment is?"
Barkpaw nodded and Graystripe purred "ok then follow me" Graystripe left the den and Barkpaw followed. They walked out of the camp, Graystripe lead her towards the lake then looked at her. "Ok, now go and hunt and remember I will be watching you in secret" Barkpaw took a deep breath then ran off. Barkpaw opened her mouth to get a better scent of the forest. 'Ok I smell a mouse!' following the scent trail she found a plump mouse nibbling on a blade of grass. With a quick jump she finished the mouse off. She threw dirt over the mouse and moved on.
After awhile she found a squirrel, another mouse and a sparrow. 'Ok what else is around?' she lifted her nose then stopped 'Windclan? They're a little close to our boarder…as a matter of fact they're on our side' quickly Barkpaw crouched down and followed the scent. She then stopped when she saw two a Windclan warrior marking Thunderclan's side of the border!
'I should go and get- no! This won't stand! Besides its only one warrior' Barkpaw stepped out of her hiding place and stepped on a twig causing the warrior to jump. "Well…what do we have here? Ok little apprentice nothing to see here go and play with your littermates." The warrior flicked his tail and Barkpaw got into attack position.
The warrior's fur bristled and crouched down. "You don't want to do that! I'm giving you a warning! get lost!"
Barkpaw stood on her toes and the warrior charged. Barkpaw dodged and scratched the warrior on his head nicking his left ear. The warrior yowled and jump on top of her. Remembering what Midnightclaw taught her she started to claw his eyes, the male cat then ran his claws along her stomach which left a deep gash. Then she smacked him with her paw slashing his right eye. The male cat yowled again and got off of Barkpaw. His ear was bleeding and so was his right eye.
"You win this time next time I'll bring back up remember that!"
With that he ran back to his side of the border. 'Are all Windclan warriors this weak?' Barkpaw Thought as she started to lick the blood off her stomach but she was still bleeding. "Barkpaw…go back to camp and see Leafpool I'll go and collect your fresh-kill" Graystripe walked out of a bush and Barkpaw looked back then nodded. She limped back to camp, once she was inside the camp her stomach was still bleeding Spottedpaw noticed too and ran into Leafpool's den.
Barkpaw's legs suddenly felt weak and she collapsed at the entrance. Ferncloud and Dustpelt ran up to her and lightly nudged her up. "C'mon…." Ferncloud whispered and Dustpelt kept her up. Once inside the medicine den Softpaw ran up to her with Marigold petals. "Ok Dustpelt thanks, I and Leafpool will watch over her and Spottedpaw don't even think of staying in here leave!"
Then I fell asleep….
When I woke up my stomach was in pain. "Don't move, you might open your wound" Leafpool said with a soft voice. "First you get a scar across your eye now you get attack by a Windclan warrior…I have to ask what were you thinking?"
Barkpaw looked up at Leafpool who purred "Graystripe told everyone about how you attacked and won against a Windclan warrior" Barkpaw laid her head down and yawned "now sleep" Leafpool whispered and Barkpaw closed her eyes.
xxxxOOOXXXX0000xxxx
Barkpaw lifted her head she's been in the Medicine den for almost two sunrises, "I think you're ready to leave the den Barkpaw do you?" Leafpool asked. Barkpaw nodded and got up her legs felt weak but she shook it off. Slowly she walked out of the medicine den her stomach hurt but all she wanted to do was start training again.
Spottedpaw ran up to her and licked her between the ears. "I'm glad to be sharing a den with you again"
"And so am I" Rockpaw added. Firestar suddenly walked over and purred "not for long though" Barkpaw looked up with curiosity and Spottedpaw gasped. "You mean…Barkpaw's going to be a warrior!"
Firestar nodded "not only did she do good on her assessment but she won against a Windclan warrior and I think that's Warrior material don't you?" Rockpaw and Spottedpaw nodded and so did Barkpaw. "So Barkpaw tomorrow you will be a full Warrior"
"Way to go Barkpaw!" Spottedpaw cheered. "She won't be alone Spottedpaw…" Firestar said Spottedpaw blinked "you mean…Rockpaw's going to be a warrior too?"
Firestar shook his head and purred "no Spottedpaw I mean you" Spottedpaw's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. "R-Really? Wow!" he started to bounce around like a kit and Barkpaw let out a silent laugh. "Congrats you too I can't wait till I become a warrior! Cause now I'll be alone in the den" Barkpaw walked up and rubbed against her brother's head. "At least I get one more night with you two, I can't believe it I'm actually going to miss Spottedpaw!"
Spottedpaw walked over and cuffed his ear and soon those two started to play fight. Barkpaw laughed and so did Firestar. Firestar then leaned down and whispered in Barkpaw's ear "really, good job" Then he left. Barkpaw felt her chest swell. 'I can't wait to tell Midnightclaw…MIDNIGHTCLAW! Oh! I haven't seen him in two sunrises! Does he think I don't care for him anymore?oh no!'
"I can't believe it! It's not fair!" Petalpaw screamed bringing Barkpaw back to reality. "Why should she be warrior before me? I've trained just as hard as her!" Brightheart walked up to her and hissed "did you fight a Windclan warrior alone? Did you almost get killed?"
Petalpaw turned away. "Now, why don't you go and get some moss for the elders?" Brightheart asked calming down quickly. Petalpaw stormed away and Barkpaw sighed and walked up to Brightheart. "Congrats Barkpaw I wonder what your new name will be" Barkpaw just shrugged and Brightheart leaned down and rubbed Barkpaw's head. "Well at least the den won't be as crowded" Barkpaw looked at the she-cat. "That's right you were recovering when she announced it…well Squirrelflight is moving into the nursery"
'The nursery but that would mean….oh'
"Yeah they're of course Brambleclaw's….It's a little funny isn't it?"
Barkpaw again looked at the she-cat. "The daughter of Firestar and the son of Tigerstar having kits together" Barkpaw nodded and Brightheart sighed. "Speaking of Kits…" Brightheart turned her head and Barkpaw followed her gaze. Coldkit and Blazekit came running or wobbling out of the nursery out of nowhere Redkit jumped on Coldkit causing the poor kit to squeal and run back into the nursery. Both Barkpaw and Brightheart chuckled. "Well, I should be seeing if Petalpaw got that moss, see you tomorrow Barkpaw in the warrior den"
As Brightheart walked away Barkpaw felt excitement run through her veins. 'I can't believe it my dream is coming true!' not really paying attention to her surrounding she got lost in her own thoughts then she felt something crash into her causing her to fall. When she looked up Rockpaw and Spottedpaw (who were still fighting) were on top of her.
'Hey you two get off!' she thought as she tried to wiggle from under the fighting pair. "Ok you two break it up before you crush Barkpaw" came Cloudtail's voice. Rockpaw and Spottedpaw noticed that Barkpaw was underneath them and quickly scrambled up. "Sorry are you ok?" Rockpaw asked Barkpaw nodded and looked up at the sky. Suddenly Graystripe came out of nowhere and padded up to Barkpaw. "hey I know you're going to be a warrior soon but do you think you can go and get some more fresh-kill? I won't be with you or watching you we're just running low"
Barkpaw nodded and Rockpaw quickly came to her side "I want to come with you I know I'm not going to be a warrior anytime soon but it'll be the last time you and me hunt together as apprentices!" Graystripe nodded "ok I'll go and tell Spiderleg were you'll be Rockpaw" then the warrior walked off.
The two trotted out of the camp once in the forest Rockpaw stretched. "How 'bout a game?"
Barkpaw looked at her littermate who purred. "Ok I'll hunt near the Windclan boarder and you hunt near the Shadowclan boarder and the first one to catch three pieces of Fresh-kill comes back here! Sounds like fun right?" Barkpaw nodded and Rockpaw purred "ok ready and go!" they took off Barkpaw started to catch scent of prey. The first thing she smelt was a vole silently she crept around following the scent when she found it she was right near the Shadowclan border. Taking a deep breath she got into crouching position.
Before she could jump a voice rang out. "Barkpaw? Is that you! Are you okay?" it was Midnightclaw. Barkpaw got up from crouching and looked over at the black male. "What happened why weren't you here for the last two days?"
Barkpaw walked over to Midnightclaw and got up on her hind legs to show him her stomach. It took him a minute to find the gashes but when he found them he gasped. "What happened? Oh right you can't answer me" Barkpaw looked around the silently stepped over to his side of the border and lightly rubbed her head against his.
"Barkpaw? Wha-
Rockpaw came out of the bushes then stopped. A plump mouse was hanging from his mouth; he then dropped the mouse and got into attack position. "Get away from him Barkpaw! Quickly!" Before Midnightclaw could open his mouth Rockpaw charged. Quickly Barkpaw got between Rockpaw and Midnightclaw taking the blow to the stomach. She then felt a cool breeze touch her stomach….he wounds reopened. Barkpaw landed on her side, Midnightclaw gasped and ran over to her.
"Are you hurt? Why would you do that! I could have stopped him!"
Barkpaw got up she started to lick her stomach and quickly Midnightclaw started to as well. "Get away from my sister!" Rockpaw smacked him away and growled. "Barkpaw I'm sorry! Why did you do that? Did he push you?"
"Push her? Why would I push her!"
"Because you're a Shadowclan cat! You guys do anything to win!"
Midnightclaw's fur bristled up. "Why would I do that? I love her!" everything went quiet Rockpaw's blue eyes widened then he looked at Barkpaw. "He's the reason the apprentice den smelt like Shadowclan a few days ago isn't he? It's not Spottedpaw you like it's him…" Rockpaw backed away then he ran back to the camp. "Go, go back to your camp go get healed I'll see you tomorrow ok?" Barkpaw nodded and Midnightclaw licked her between the ears. "And I mean what I said I love you Barkpaw"
Barkpaw rubbed under his chin then limped back to camp. As she entered the camp she expected every cat to surround the entrance and attack her. But once inside everything was quite a few warriors were sunbathing and Redkit and Blazekit where running around the nursery. Slowly Barkpaw limped into Leafpool's den. "Back so soon Barkpaw?...it reopened didn't it?"
Leafpool sighed. "I told Graystripe! I told him that you couldn't hunt until you healed but no that cat has the brains of a kit!"
Leafpool started to press cob webs on the wound and Softpaw started to chew on some Marigold petals.
After awhile they finished and Leafpool sighed again. "Ok…that's the best we can do…why don't you go into the apprentice den and gets some sleep?"
Barkpaw slowly got up and walked out of the den and looked up at the sky. The sun was setting beyond the trees slowly Barkpaw trudged into the apprentice den. 'If he didn't tell the camp then I know he told Spottedpaw or worse he told Petalpaw!' once again she expected the worse when she entered the den but instead Spottedpaw greeted her happily and even licked her ear. Petalpaw and Darkpaw ignored her like always and Rockpaw was laying down he looked like he was thinking.
Slowly Barkpaw laid down next to him he made no movement he just stared at the floor. Finally after the sun has gone fully down and all the other apprentices where a sleep he looked at Barkpaw and whispered "I won't tell"