Chapter 3
I walked through the forest in the dead of night with Swiftpaw by my side. He looked stronger then ever; definitely certain this is what he had to do. I on the other hand was so lost. I felt happy and sad, strong yet terrified, cold and warm, all of my emotions so mixed. The world was moving fast for me, I have no idea why, I felt like I was running in mid air, but the wind was forcing me to move. Did that make sense? Cause I don't think anyone can understand unless they have the very feeling.
I could feel the grass when my soft paws touch the earth. I was walking with Swiftpaw. It seemed like Starclan was making me. Maybe I did have to do this. It just seemed so wrong. That's when my mind opened up to me. I understood everything I was thinking. I need to think about the code. The code my mentor has taught me to follow. Why does every single apprentice know that but Swiftpaw?
Maybe he is as lost as I am. Thinking there is only one way to becoming warriors. Was he thinking that if Cloudtail became a warrior even though he broke the code that he needs to break the code? That's a horrible crime. I've heard stories of a cat named Tigerstar. He was exiled from our clan because he broke the code. They wouldn't exile us for this. Will they?
Then I realized something. Tigerstar had many friends in our clan before exile. Swiftpaw's mentor, Longtail, was one of them. My mentor was one too. So were all of our mentors. Was Bluestar ignoring us because of that? Finally it made sense. Bluestar thought traitors taught us. We have to prove ourselves worthy.
We have to prove we are not traitors. We have to help and serve our clan. We need to respect our elders, play with kits, hunt for the clan, laugh with friends, and follow the code. We had to earn our title as warriors. Maybe we deserve it maybe we don't but we control that.
We have to do what's right, but was this right? What if sneaking out of camp to do something a warrior wouldn't do was proving our selves unworthy? I flinched at the thought of that. I have made a terrible mistake. I need to go back! I need to set things right. I need to get Swiftpaw to stop what he is doing. This isn't for the good of the clan.
I slammed my feet to the ground and stopped walking. It didn't seem so hard now that I hade a reason to. Swiftpaw stopped to and turned around to see if I was ok.
"Come on. We need to hurry." He said. "Are you ok?"
"Swiftpaw… I can't do this." I whispered softly.
"Can't do what?" He asked.
"I… we can't go."
"Yes! We must!" Swiftpaw shouted. "Don't you want to become a warrior?"
I looked into his eyes.
"Yes… but Swiftpaw you have to listen-"
Swiftpaw turned his back at me.
"Tonight I'm becoming a warrior and you can't stop me." He whimpered. "Bluestar can't ignore me anymore, stay away from me Brightpaw."
With that he ran away as fast as he could. I charged after him screaming for him to stop. He just kept on running faster and faster. He weaved around every single obstacle. I tried to catch up to him, but he was too fast.
I saw Swiftpaw dash through the bushes into Snakerocks I pushed myself further and burst through the clearing to find Swiftpaw searching around the clearing.
"Swiftpaw!" I shouted. He turned around to see me run up to him.
He looked at me.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked. Swiftpaw closed his eyes and looked away. I lifted his chin up with my tail. His amber eyes looked deep into my green eyes.
"Swiftpaw, I would never do anything to hurt or offend you." I whispered each of my words came straight from the mind. "I will go on this quest with you, you just need to give me a reason why."
He didn't say anything.
"Please." I pleaded. "I'm on your side." Swiftpaw looked down and sighed.
"I want… to be known as those cats who go down in history." He said. "I want to be someone who queens tell about to there kits. How could cats tell stories about an apprentice?"
I gazed at him in sorrow. I never thought of that before. I guess everybody is looking for something. Maybe we would all understand each other more if we knew what everyone was looking for.
"Swiftpaw, I kind of want to tell you something." I said.
He looked up at me.
"I… I came here with you because… I think your really sweet, kind, strong, brave." I found myself lost on words. I struggled, so I moved on. "The truth is that… I think all of that because… because… because I love you."
Swiftpaw looked deep into my eyes and smiled at me. He opened his mouth about to say something but before he could we both heard a twig snap over a hill. We turned in shock looking to a hill to our right. As we looked at it we saw a large dark shadow rise over the hill.
All at once it seemed like all my fears have come true. I looked at the face of the figure that appeared over the hill. It was a dog. His eyes glowed in dark and his sharp teeth were shiny white.
Swiftpaw and I turned to look at each other with fear in our eyes, realizing we just made the biggest mistake of our life.