SunClan Ch. 4

Dawn patrol didn't take very long. A quick sweep of the borders and they were back at camp. Before they reached the camp, Dogclaw pulled up next to Silverstorm and Skypaw.

"Silverstorm," The deputy meowed, "Has Skypaw had an assessment yet?"

"No," Silverstorm replied, "But isn't it a bit early to have it? Skypaw only has been training for four moons."

"But she is accelerating in her training faster than any apprentice I have seen," Skypaw turned to look at Dogclaw when he made this remark. "We could have her and Heartpaw's assessment now, and if she passes, have her warrior ceremony at Sunhigh," Dogclaw's eyes glittered.

Skypaw's eyes flew to Silverstorm. Silverstorm shook her head. She didn't know what to do. SunClan was important, but a Warrior Ceremony was life changing.

Looking away from Skypaw, Silverstorm shook her head at Dogclaw. "I don't mean any disrespect Dogclaw, but I don't think that Skypaw is ready. She has much more to learn."

Dogclaw was visibly miffed. "Well," he mewed tartly, "If that's the way you feel," and trotted stiffly off.

Skypaw looked at Silverstorm, a sort of sad disbelief in her eyes. "Silverstorm," she meowed, "Am I really not ready, or did you do that because you didn't want to mess up SunClan."

"Skypaw, can you really think that after only four moons that you are ready to..."

"So it was the second one," Skypaw drooped her head and tail. "Silverstorm, this was my chance. I could have had my warrior name this time tonight."

"And I couldn't do anything to interfere with you and Eaglepaw," Silverstorm mewed sadly. When Skypaw tried to look shocked, Silverstorm continued, "I know you Skypaw, and I also know that..." Silverstorm had to take a deep breath before continuing, "Nothing I can do will stop you. I can just advise you. Know that if you have any problems, you can come to me."

Skypaw nodded. "Thank you Silverstorm," She trotted away, "Come on, don't we have a meeting to get to?" If only Silverstorm knew what was really going through Skypaw's head.

"I just barely escaped," Lionpaw mewed, twitching his tail nervously, "Falconheart almost never lets me out of her sight. She says it's time for me to get some 'real training'," Lionpaw mimicked in a high voice, "Apparently she doesn't think very much of Swiftbreeze."

"The piece of foxdung," Nightshadow snarled, "Why doesn't she go jump in a ditch."

Eaglepaw nodded, "A really deep one," He added excitedly, "With sharp rocks and then a really strong river to carry her away so that no one ever...knows what happened," he finished haltingly.

"Where did that come from?" Nightshadow asked, purring hard. "Never thought you were the blood-thirsty type."

Noticing Skypaw looking at him strangely, Eaglepaw mewed quietly, "I'm...not." He tucked his tail between his legs. Skypaw trotted over and rubbed comfortingly against him.

"So," Lionpaw continued, "What in StarClan's name am I going to do?" His eyes darted around at the other SunClan cats.

"Train," Silverstorm mewed, and Lionpaw looked at her in surprise. "If you train here, you'll advance faster, and be made a warrior sooner."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Lionpaw demanded, and then his eyes grew wide as he registered her words. "Oh." Then he groaned. "Great, intensive training."

Eaglepaw smirked. Wildwind threw him a reproachful glance. While Nightshadow took Lionpaw to the side and began working on his training, Wildwind trotted over to Silverstorm. "I'm getting Hazekit," He mewed excitedly, "I talked to Creekstar like you said, and it worked. Hazekit is mine. "She's got her ceremony tomorrow at Sunhigh. I'll bring her to the next SunClan meeting."

"That's great," Silverstorm exclaimed. "I can't wait to meet her."

The meeting ended soon after. Lionpaw had a new set of aches and bruises to add to the ones he already had. Lionpaw promised that he would come as much as possible, and train hard when he did. He winced when he said this.

It was when Silverstorm and Skypaw were walking back to camp that Skypaw stopped. Silverstorm continued walking for a few steps, then glanced at her apprentice. "What is it Skypaw?" She asked.

"Silverstorm," Skypaw meowed over to her, twitching her tail nervously, "When I get my warrior name, I take over this job completely right? You stop coming."

Silverstorm trotted over to her apprentice, "Yes," she mewed quietly. "Why does it matter?"

"Because..." Skypaw muttered, "Because...umm... because I don't want you to stop going. It's a comfort to have you here. I don't want to have to manage all of this on my own."

Silverstorm flicked her ears. "That's nice Skypaw, but we both know that's not what you were going to say. What is it?"

"It's..." Skypaw trailed off, "It's nothing." She spotted a mouse and began to creep toward it.

"Skypaw," Silverstorm meowed irritably. "What is it? You can tell me." Skypaw focused on the mouse. "Skypaw," Silverstorm raised her voice. Skypaw lunged for the mouse, but missed. The mouse skittered into the underbrush.

"Mousedung," Skypaw snapped.

Silverstorm turned her apprentice toward her. "Skypaw, there is something troubling you. I can tell," Silverstorm tried.

"There's nothing wrong," Skypaw mewed fiercely, avoiding Silverstorm's gaze. Skypaw tried running back to camp. Silverstorm pounced on her and held her down. "What in StarClan's name are you doing?" Skypaw yowled.

"There's something bothering you, and I need to know if it endangers SunClan, or ThunderClan for that matter."

"Fine," Skypaw shrieked, "Eaglepaw and I were thinking that when we got our warrior names, we would run away together. We can never be together as it is. We want to have kits Silverstorm! There is no way that..." She stopped herself, "Happy?" She snapped, and wiggled out of Silverstorm's shock frozen hold. She ran into the forest back toward camp.

Silverstorm didn't move for many heartbeats. Skypaw and Eaglepaw... run away...kits...warrior names. Silverstorm's mind wouldn't function right. She finally sat down. As her brain began to function normally again, it had room for the freaking out. Skypaw and Eaglepaw were planning to run away? And have kits? Not Skypaw. No, not Skypaw.

Silverstorm shook her head. Skypaw was young. There was no way that she would be able to go through with running away. Having convinced herself of such, Silverstorm trotted back to camp.

Dogclaw padded over to her. "Yes," Silverstorm mewed irritably.

Dogclaw proceeded with his news. "I talked to Skypaw," He meowed. Silverstorm felt dread clench at her heart. No. "Skypaw says that you two talked it over and you don't think that she is ready to become a warrior yet, but she will be by the next full moon." His eyes narrowed. "Is this true?"

Silverstorm blinked. Did Skypaw really say that?