NUMB

Chapter 10

Heronwing looked at Gorse, "You know...My brother always had a crush on you." He mewed. Gorse chuckled, "He did? I never knew that cat had ANY interest in anyone. I never saw you around that much. Did you ever have a mate?" Gorse asked interest and curiosity shone in her eyes, "Well.. I did have one, but she was a loner, So I kept it a secret." Heronwing looked away, "Her name?" Gorse got up and looked Heronwing in the eyes. Heronwing flinched backwards, "Her name was Jewel.". Heronwing blushed, "She was a white she-cat... beautiful blue eyes.. But she dield after our kits were born. I raised them in secret.. and I lost one from a fox.. So I only had the she-cat kit, who looked exactly like her mother. When she learned what I was doing, I told her I was trying to keep her safe but she ran away.." He looked at his paws, "Well, I should be going" He quickly stood up, and padded out of the Elder's den, and the sunlight shone brightly in his eyes as he padded out.

Nothing really happened in the span of 2 moons, though Jetsky and Stormstar were healed of their injuries and sicknesses. Ambereye is expecting to have her kits any minute now, and Moonpaw, Firefly, and Jetsky witnessed Stormstar losing a life. Stormstar padded up to the top of High-Ledge, a large smile on his face, "Today, three of my kits will become warriors! Their assessment is today. Heronwing, Abyssfur, Scarheart, and Ambereye. You three are the first mentors of Dawnclan, and you will be remembered in Dawnclan history. Moving on, Hopepaw, Smokepaw, and Cloverpaw. I hope you do well in your assessments. We have two parts, the forest, and the field. The first part will be held in the field, and the second, the forest. Once you are done with that, meet up at the training place for the fighting part." he said, as all of the cats were already gathered beneath him. "Remember, we are watching you.". The apprentices nodded, padded to the entrance of camp, and ran out into the field.

Cloverpaw looked at her kin and then ran towards the river near the cherry tree, knowing that there would be plenty of squirrels and fish there. It was still part of the field, so it counted, right? Cloverpaw said to herself. She abruptly stopped at the river. She crouched down, and stuck her paw in the water, waiting for a fish to swim by. 2 fish shortly swam by, and triggered Cloverpaw's trap. She threw herself into the river, catching both the fish in her jaw. Cloverpaw swam back to land, and shook her fur, making it stick out a bit. She placed the fish down on the ground and crouched as a squirrel was near her. She was downwind, good.. The squirrel was digging a nut in the ground. Cloverpaw pounced but missed the squirrel as it saw her. It ran up the cherry tree, Cloverpaw chased it. She growled the squirrel was in the tree. She went back to the fish, and carried it, spotting a thrush nearby. She crouched, and the thrush looked at her and flew right into Smokepaw, who was also hunting it. He caught it, and smiled at Cloverpaw, carrying the thrush away. Cloverpaw growled and picked her fish back up once again. She padded along the field until she spotted a rabbit. She crouched, sneaking towards it. The rabbit sniffed the ground, and at the moment, she pounced, pinning the prey to the ground, and smiling, killing it in one swipe. It was a successful hunt, as she went over to the forest to wait. Her kin went there a few minutes later, and they all went into the forest. Cloverpaw went the same way as the river again, catching a squirrel along the way. After a bit, she kept missing. She wasn't as good in the forest and was clumsy there. The first two parts of the assessment were finished, and her mentor came out of the bushes to tell her to go to the training grounds.

Smokepaw met up with Cloverpaw and Hopepaw at the training grounds, and the sun lowered slowly into the trees. Once Cloverpaw came, she leaped at Hopepaw, automatically beginning the fighting assessment. Hopepaw yowled in surprise, and Smokepaw knocked Cloverpaw off, and bowled her over, sending Cloverpaw onto her back. Cloverpaw pushed him off, and Hopepaw leaped for Cloverpaw, but she dodged, and Smokepaw ended up leaping at Hopepaw in mid-air, sending her flying, and landing on her side. Smokepaw growled, leaping at Cloverpaw. Cloverpaw had waited for this trick, she smiled, and ducked and slid under him, and pushed him up with her forepaws, sending Smokepaw to frontflip and land on his back. Hopepaw was back up, and batted Cloverpaw in the side, and face. Cloverpaw backed away and landed on her, but Hopepaw quickly wiggled out from under her, getting hit in the tail by Smokepaw, who tripped over it. Cloverpaw laughed, and leaped at Smokepaw, and pushed off his side, spiraling in the air to leap onto Hopepaw's back, pinning her. "WOAH! STOP! What are you fighting for? There's enough prey in the forest and fields for all of us!" An unfamiliar voice mewed. It was a white she-cat with glittering blue eyes and a missing tail. The apprentices stopped, and Heronwing, Scarheart, and Abyssfur came out for hiding, "They aren't fighting for prey or land. They're doing their assessment." Scarheart mewed, glaring at the white she-cat, "Do you have a problem with that?" she hissed. Abyssfur rested his tail on Scarheart's shoulder, "Wait, Scarheart. Greetings, loner, but you are intruding on our territory. I would like it if you left it, Unless you benefit to Dawnclan in any way, or are a former member of the old clan, or are a close ally." he mewed. His eyes stared into the loner, making her flinch, "N-no. I'm not part of any cl-" she spotted Heronwing. Heronwing and the loner locked eyes, "Wait.. are you.. Heron?" she asked. Heronwing nodded, "Father!?"

The loner stepped back, "Why are you here?" she growled, "Snow.. Calm down. Our old clan was destroyed, so now I'm here with our new clan." Heronwing said, and stepped towards Snow, with the look of sorrow in his gaze. "Serves you right! You betrayed your clan. You hid me away!" Snow retorted, flexing her claws, "I did it only because I wanted to protect you. Your mother DIED for you!". "You didn't die for me though. You were ashamed of me!" Snow growled, "No I wasn't. I was protecting you from our clan, that would have LEFT you there because YOU have the BLOOD of our rival clan! I didn't want to hide you OR your brother!" Heronwing growled, his eyes filling with tears. "Then WHY did you ever become mates with HER!?" Snow yowled. Heronwing looked at his paws, "Because I loved her. You were the only thing I had left when your mother and brother died." he mewed, his gaze turned to ice, as he looked back up at Snow. Abyssfur and Scarheart shared a pitiful look, and the apprentices shared a confused, but excited look, "... Heron.. I'm sorry.." Snow said. "I guess I can't imagine how it feels to be left by the only cat you had left.. I'm sorry." Snow ran up to Heronwing, and licked his cheek. Heronwing smiled, and placed his tail on her shoulder, "Promise me you'll never leave again?" he mewed and Snow nodded.

Cloverpaw stuck out her tongue in disgust, while Smokepaw and Hopepaw smiled. "By the way.. It's Heronwing." Heronwing chuckled, stepped away from Snow, with a smile. Snow tilted her head, "Heronwing, huh. Nice.". Snow's eyes looked at all of the other cats, "Well. Do you want to continue this.. training or something?" Snow asked. Abyssfur shook his head, "We're going back to camp. Do you want to come with us and join us?" he asked. Scarheart began padding away, and Smokepaw and Cloverpaw followed. "Sure." Snow said, "Let's go, then.". They began catching up to Scarheart. They made it to camp once the moon was rising. Stormstar was waiting for them at the entrance with Jetsky and Firefly. Stormstar padded to them, "Congratulations. You finished the assessment." He looked at the apprentices, "Anyways, who are you?" he mewed to Snow. "My name is Snow, I'm Heronwing's daughter." she mewed. Firefly and Jetsky smiled. Stormstar seemed amazed, "Daughter? Huh. I know how having a daughter feels, and son." He looked at the apprentices with a smile, "Well, Snow. I'm assuming you're here to join the clan?". Abyssfur nodded. "Well, there shall be four ceremonies today then! As long as the apprentices did well." Stormstar padded up to his den, beckoning the mentors to follow him, "We shall talk about it.". Cloverpaw and her kin had carried their prey back too, and placed it in the prey pile.

Stormstar padded out of his den, and onto High-ledge, "All cats old enough to run through the field, gather beneath High-ledge for a clan meeting! Snow, Cloverpaw, Hopepaw, and Smokepaw, gather on Flat-rock!" He called, and all the cats of the clan apart from Snow, Hopepaw, Cloverpaw, and Smokepaw sat under High-ledge. "I, Stormstar, leader of Dawnclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." Stormstar looked at Cloverpaw in the eyes. "Cloverpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?". "I do" Cloverpaw responded. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Cloverpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Cloverdawn. StarClan honors your strength and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Dawnclan.". Stormstar turned to Smokepaw, "I, Stormstar, leader of Dawnclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on 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. Smokepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?". "I do" Smokepaw replied, standing up, and puffed out his chest, "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Smokepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Smokecloud. StarClan honors your wits and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Dawnclan.". "And finally, I, Stormstar, leader of Dawnclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Hopepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?". Hopepaw nodded, "I do." her eyes glimmered in excitement, "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Hopepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Hopeshine. StarClan honors your speed and kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Dawnclan.". Hopeshine, Smokecloud, and Cloverdawn looked at each other and smiled. "Hopeshine, Smokecloud, and Cloverdawn! Hopeshine, Smokecloud, and Cloverdawn! Hopeshine, Smokecloud, and Cloverdawn!" Everycat chanted, and Stormstar silenced them with a flick of his tail, "Now. Snow. You wish to join our clan. I now rename you Snowflurry, for your kindness." he mewed, and Snowflurry smiled cats chanted her name. "Meeting di-" A yowl came from the nursery, "The kits are coming!"