The Hardest Decision
SharkyClan's June Challenge
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"Minnowpaw, Minnowpaw!"
Minnowpaw slowly opened her eyes. A small brown and black cat was standing over her.
"What do you want, Quailpaw?" Minnowpaw grumbled. Her sister sighed.
"Waspstar just called a clan meeting." Minnowpaw sat up. She stretched then left her cozy nest and headed over to Highbranch.
"How nice of you to join us, Minnowpaw." Waspstar said flatly. He was a thin, golden tabby tom with large yellow eyes. Minnowpaw nodded to her leader and sat down beside a dark brown tom.
"Today we have the making of a new warrior." Waspstar announced. "Nettlepaw." He paused as the clan cheered.
"Nettlepaw, please step forward." the golden tabby said proudly. The spiky-furred she-cat was his daughter, after all. Nettlepaw took a shaky step forward.
"I, Waspstar of Riverclan, call upon my 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 turn. Nettlepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do." Nettlepaw answered, eyes darting around camp nervously.
"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Nettlepaw, from this moment you will be known as Nettlepelt. Starclan honors your courage and your wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Riverclan." Waspstar finished. The clan errupted in cheers.
"Nettlepelt! Nettlepelt!" Minnowpaw yelled. She was close to Nettlepelt and was happy that her friend was finally a warrior. Nettlepelt was now beaming at her clanmates. She certainly liked all the attention. Minnowpaw felt someone prod her side. It was her sister.
"Minnowpaw, do you want to come hunting with Larkfrost and I?" Quailpaw asked. Minnowpaw nodded.
"I'll have to ask my mentor. Have you seen her recently?" the silver tabby asked. Quailpaw shook her head.
"Darn, I'd better go look for her." Minnowpaw sighed. She said goodbye to her sister and looked around. The apprentice decided to check the warrior's den first. Maybe Amberstorm was lounging in there. Minnowpaw stuck her head into the den.
"Have any of you seen my mentor recently?" Minnowpaw asked the warriors inside.
"I haven't." a dark brown she-cat said.
"Me neither." a ginger tom told the apprentice. So Minnowpaw thanked the warriors and left.
"Where in the world can she be?" the silver apprentice thought to herself. She passed by the apprentice's den.
"Well... if Amberstorm doesn't need me..." Minnowpaw thought and headed into the den. She curled up in her nest and fell into a deep sleep.
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Minnowpaw threw open her eyes. She sat up looked around. Quailpaw and Molepaw, another apprentice, were asleep.
"What time is it...?" Minnowpaw thought. She padded outside the den. There was Nettlefur, keeping the night vigil.
"I guess I should just go back to sleep, not much I can do at Moonhigh." Minnowpaw said aloud. But for once in her life, Minnowpaw was not sleepy. And it was a good thing she wasn't tired. The silver apprentice stood outside the den, gazing up at the stars.
"Wait a minute..." Minnowpaw thought, tasting the air. "Amberstorm?" Minnowpaw looked over to Nettlepelt, just in time to see her mentor unsheathe her claws and slice the new warrior's neck. Nettlepelt fell to the ground. Minnowpaw gasped; her friend was dead. Amberstorm's green eyes flicked over to Minnowpaw. The golden she-cat slowly padded over to her apprentice, who was frozen in fear. She tackled Minnowpaw a placed a single claw on her throat.
"You tell, you die. It's simple." the golden cat snarled. Minnowpaw gulped and nodded.
"Now, go back to sleep. We're training hard tomorrow." Amberstorm said with a chuckle, and pushed the silver apprentice aside, padding back into her den.
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"Nettlepelt is dead!"
Minnowpaw awoke to hear her mentor's distressed cry. She walked outside to see that the clan had gathered around the newly made warrior. Minnowpaw pushed her way through the cats to see Amberstorm shoving her nose into Nettlepelt's fur in grief. How fake.
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It had been nearly a year since Minnowpaw- now Minnowberry- had witnessed her mentor murdering Nettlepelt. Minnowberry had kept the incident to herself; until one day she spit it out to her mother, who of course went and told Waspstar. Amberstorm had been exiled. And as time went by, Minnowberry started to forget about Amberstorm's threat. The silver tabby now had a mate and kits of her own.
Minnowberry was lounging on a sunny rock by a thick patch of reeds. A pair of green eyes were shining through the reeds, targeting the unsespecting cat in front of her. Amberstorm crashed through the reeds and sliced at Minnowberry. She let out a yelp before Amberstorm struck her again. The clan screamed in horror and charged towards Amberstorm.
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Every now and then, Minnowberry's clanmates would come by her grave. They'd sometimes drop a little flower on to the ground, and mourn for their lost friend. They'd also stop by Amberstorm's grave, but they'd simply stand and stare silently down at the ground. So yes, Amberstorm had gotten her revenge, but for a tough price. And someday... someday in the future... she will be back. And she will be out for blood.
