"You hesitated Swiftpaw, if you were to hesitate in a real battle; your opponent would have gotten the chance to shred you fur off and send you off screaming for your mother. Focus!" Longtail ordered Swiftpaw. He was at the Sandy Hollow, training against Brightpaw. Whitestorm was also giving pointers to his apprentice.
It had been a moon's training since Cloudtail had received his warrior name; Swiftpaw was determined to show his mentor that he was ready for the assessment. He felt adrenaline surge through his paws.
"Alright, try again, and make sure all are your movements are swift, smooth blows. And claws sheathed!" Whitestorm reminded.
He looked Brightpaw in the eye with an amusing fierce look. She looked back fiercer, but with more excitement. She started by trying to bat him on the muzzle with her paw, but he ducked down and batted her across the face. She looked dazed, but snapped back quickly. Swiftpaw bowled her over onto her back and jumped up on top of her. He had one paw pressed on her belly, both of his forepaws pinned her forelegs to the ground.
"That was great! Both of you did a splendid job. Your movements were swift and quick. But Brightpaw, you have to know where your enemy is at all times are!" Longtail praised Brightpaw and Swiftpaw. Swiftpaw looked at Brightpaw with a proud glance. She looked back at him with anxiety in her eyes.
"You did wonderful! I can't be happier for you!" Swiftpaw gave her an affectionate lick on her ear.
Swiftpaw noticed that Whitestorm whispered something to Longtail and Longtail nodded at Whitestorm.
"This shows me and Whitestorm that you too are ready." Longtail looked at them with pride. Swiftpaw's eyes widened with excitement. Finally! This is my chance to be warrior! Me and Brightpaw together as warriors! Swiftpaw thought.
Brightpaw looked at Longtail with tired eyes.
"Yeah, my paws have been worn out! Let's head back to camp." Brightpaw said sleepily as she parted her jaws in a big yawn. Swiftpaw rolled his eyes. Stupid furrball! He thought with excitement.
"No! Not to head back to camp, to start our assessment!" Swiftpaw yowled at her with playfulness. Her eyes opened with shock and surprise. He knew that she was just as excited as he was. Swiftpaw looked over at his mentor, and he looked back, his eyes had a glint of pride.
"Tomorrow you two will start at dawn. Make sure you get up on time this time, Swiftpaw!" Whitestorm looked over at Swiftpaw jokingly. Swiftpaw looked back with confidence.
Swiftpaw felt so many things that he couldn't pin point all the emotions. All he knew was that he could run farther than the Highstones right now. He looked over at Brightpaw again. She was kneading the sandy ground with her paws, as if she could also run for moons.
Are you tired now, Brightpaw? Swiftpaw thought.
Swiftpaw then gave a mighty leap and landed beside Whitestorm and yowled into the Sandy Hollow,
"Race you back to camp!" and dashed off towards the ravine.
As he felt the wind in his ears he looked behind him to see if they were following, and discovered that Brightpaw was hard on his heels, and behind her was her mentor, trailing not far behind was his.
He raced through the forest. He felt the wind blasting his face, blood roaring in his ears, the bracken and fern brushing his pelt. He saw a big bracken hedge ahead of him. He started to run faster and faster towards it. When he became on foxlength away from it, he bunched up his haunches and leapt. He looked below him to see the hedge whizzing by him. He landed swiftly on all four paws and was at the beginning of the ravine. He looked behind him to see pelts racing through the trees not far behind him.
As Swiftpaw waited, he drank in the forest scents he smelt a disgusting scent above all.
"Badger!"Swiftpaw yowled at the others just arriving.
"Badger, I can smell it and it is fresh!" Swiftpaw hissed. Just after he said that he saw a dark black shape lumber into his sights. He looked at the others to see that he wasn't the only one who saw it. Swiftpaw whipped around to come face to face to the badger. It hissed at spit at them.
It felt like moons as the cats starred into the black eyes of the ruthless beast.
I have to do something before it starts to attack us! Swiftpaw thought hurriedly. He began to whisper into Longtail's ear,
"Take Whitestorm and Brightpaw with you to alert the clan. I will hold it off." Swiftpaw whispered. Longtail shot him a side glance. He whispered back,
"I'm not going to leave you here alone!"
"Yes you will! I will not put a clan cats' lives on the line! I can handle it!" he looked at Brightpaw. He would sacrifice his life to save her without a doubt. He could smell fear scent coming from her and Whitestorm. He noticed Longtail whisper something to Whitestorm and Brightpaw. Brightpaw hissed something back at Longtail, but soon relaxed.
Longtail, Brightpaw and Whitstorm turned tail and raced up the ravine. Swiftpaw stared at the badger with determined eyes.
"Get off my territory you mangy old badger!" Swiftpaw hissed. He leapt onto the badger. He unsheathed his claws and hung onto the badger's pelt. The creature tried to turn his neck and bite him Swiftpaw crouched. The badger started to try to buck off Swiftpaw. This is a little amusing! Swiftpaw thought.
Swiftpaw raked its black and white pelt before leaping off and raking it down its muzzle. The badger started to swing blindly with its massive paws that could crush a cat's skull. A stab of pain bursted through him as he realized one of the badgers paw raked into Swiftpaw's scruff, but he kept fighting. Swiftpaw batted its face until it finally gave up and lumbered the opposite direction of the camp, towards Riverclan territory.
"You can deal with that now!" hissed at the badger. He could feel warm blood trickle down his neck from his stinging wound.
Swiftpaw turned around and raced up the ravine and down into the gorse tunnel and into camp.
He saw Whitestorm at the front of the camp giving directions, but he stopped when he saw Swiftpaw enter the camp. After Longtail, who was also giving orders, took notice towards the gorse tunnel, every other cat looked at him in utter silence.
Swiftpaw was about to say something when all the other cats started to ask him questions.
"Is it gone?"
"Did you kill it?"
"Will my kits be safe?"
Swiftpaw silenced them with his tail.
"That badger will think twice before coming back here! And if it does, it will have to deal with me again!" Swiftpaw said confidently. Yowls of joy and relief came from the group of cats. Brightpaw came running at him with admiration on her face. She bowled him over and they lay there on the ground, happy together.
Longtail walked up to him.
"You did a very nice job. That will account with your final grade tomorrow Swiftpaw." Longtail looked at him with sincere proud in his eyes.
"T-Thank you, Longtail, that is wonderful!" Swiftpaw said as he got up. He looked behind him to see all the cats, smiling with relief. Bluestar emerged out of her den. Swiftpaw gulped. Has no cat informed her of the badger?
"What is going on here?" she yowled across the clearing. Cats turned toward her with shame. Then he finally spoke up.
"There was a badger on our territory. I drove it off." He meowed confidently. As he spoke Spottedleaf emerged from her den with marigold and cobwebs. She trotted over to him, she chewed up the leaves into a poultice, licked his wound clean, applied the marigold then the cobwebs.
"I want you to see me every day. And take it easy!" she reminded. Longtail walked over to them.
"Will he be able to take his assessment tomorrow?" he asked with worry in his tone.
"I suppose he could. If the wound reopens though during your assessment, come straight back to camp!" Spottedleaf advised.
He nodded thanks then padded over to Brightpaw; he felt Cloudtail's gaze scorch his pelt. He gave her a friendly lick over the ears.
"You did a great job Swiftpaw! I wish I was fighting right beside you." She said with disappointment.
"I didn't want to put you in harm's way. You know that. I would devote my lifesaving yours." He looked into her deep blue eyes and saw joy and closeness, but he also saw guilt, and anxiety.
Cloudtail walked up to the pair.
"You did a nice job Swiftpaw, thank you for saving the clan." Cloudtail said as he looked at Brightpaw with longing. Brightpaw looked back at him with suspicion. After a couple heartbeats, Cloudtail stalked off.
He heard Bluestar begin to talk, so he focused on her.
"Because of Swiftpaw's victory, we will have a feast. Longtail, Tigerclaw, Mousefur, Rosepaw go for a hunting patrol." Swiftpaw looked over to see the cats gather in a group and leave through the gorse tunnel. She continued,
"Cloudtail, Dustpelt, Sandstorm, Fireheart go for another." She finished.
"Bye!" Cloudtail said to Brightpaw and bounded off.
"Come on, let's go wash off." Brightpaw said to Swiftpaw. They lay down by the apprentices den. Swiftpaw began to groom her ears and scruff.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After the clan had finished eating, the apprentices went to their dens to sleep. Swiftpaw lay closed to Brightpaw. As he lay there, drinking in her sweet scent, he began to think of his warrior name.
Swifttail? Swiftpelt? Swiftfeather? So many options! After lots of other different names, sleep claimed him.