Chapter 8: Assessment
The apprentices sat together outside their den, eating a piece of fresh kill each and sharing tongues with each other
"Hey did you guys hear? We're going to have our assessment soon!" said Rainpaw. Honeypaw gasped
"Who told you?"
"My mentor of course! He's the best! He tells me everything!" bragged Rainpaw. Silverpaw rolled his eyes
"That just sounds a bit weird...A warrior telling you all his biggest secrets and stuff?" he said. Rainpaw batted him on the back of the head with his paw and Silverpaw ducked the attack
"I wonder when we are going to have our assessment...I really want to do it!" said Stormpaw
"You're going to do it now." a voice came from beside Stormpaw and he looked up and saw his mentor: Briarheart
"I've gathered all your mentors together already and their waiting outside the camp. So let's get going now." she ordered. All the apprentices nodded and stood up and followed her outside the camp.
Like Briarheart had said: Their mentors were all waiting outside of the camp. Each of the apprentices went to stand beside their mentos while Briarheart stepped forward and nodded at all of them
"Now. You will all be judged by your hunting skills. You will all be given a place to go to and the goal is to get as many fresh kill as you can while using the skills that your mentor has taught you." said Briarheart
"Stormpaw, you will go to the great sycamore. Honeypaw, you will go to tallpines. Rainpaw, you will go to Sunning rocks. And Silverpaw, you will go to the owl tree." she continued. The four apprentices nodded
"Ok. Ready? Go!" the apprentices broke apart from their mentors and dashed towards their destinations as their mentors gathered together. Mistyshadow had a worried gaze on her face
"The great sycamore? Are you sure he won't go into snakerocks?" she asked. Briarheart shook her head and looked at her with confident eyes for her apprentice
"Don't worry. If he knows what to do if he sees a adder or anything. Don't underestimate my apprentice, Mistyshadow." she replied calmly. Mistyshadow sighed and beckoned for the two toms to follow her and follow their apprentices. Briarheart set off also, in search for Stormpaw.
Honeypaw sighed, I can hardly find any prey here!, she said to herself. She gave the air one more sniff and at the same time, she felt a presence behind her and she spun around and arched her back and unsheathed her claws, but nothing was there. She straightened her back again and the fur on her back lay flat again. She looked around among the bushes on the same spot and shook her head
"Stay focused, Honeypaw!" she whispered then turned around again. She sniffed the air again but felt the presence again but she decided to ignore it. But she could feel its eyes watching her every move. Suddenly Honeypaw heard movement in the bushes around the corner of the fence and the scent of a juice mouse filled her nostrils. She licked her tongue as if she just eaten it and stalked closer to the prey. She stopped just behind the corner of the fence and saw the mouse looking around confusingly, Can it smell me?, she wondered. The mouse turned around back where it came from and started to leave. But Honeypaw sprang up and chased after it. The mouse heard her and ran faster. But before it could enter the bushes, she leaped off and dived straight into her prey and pinned it down and finished it off with a bite to the neck
"Yes!" she meowed. She buried it into the earth so she could come back for it later and went back into the hunter's crouch and kept her muzzle close to the ground and breathed in the stale scent of prey
"Where did all the prey go? It's not leaf-bare! It's still the beginning of leaf-fall!" she mumbled. She suddenly stopped in her tracks at the smell of a squirrel; its scent still fresh. She looked up and saw a bushy brown tail just poking out of the corner of a bush. She kept her belly close to the ground as she stalked closer to it. Memories washed in her head, she wasn't very good at catching squirrels. In fact she hasn't even caught one before!, Will I be able to do it? StarClan! Please help me!, she prayed. The brown tail suddenly moved into the bushes and she stalked it quickly and pricked her ears forward, Thank StarClan! It's still there, she said to herself. She stopped in front of the bush. She suddenly froze on the spot, she wanted to leap up for it for it was still there but she couldn't move!, What's wrong with me? Go!, she nearly shouted out. Suddenly she felt a presence behind her, and it was the same presence she had felt from before. This time she could feel its fur brush against hers, Honeypaw..., it murmured. Honeypaw's eyes widened, she recognized that voice!, G-Gingerkit?, she felt the cat nod and her eyes gleamed with hapiness, Gingerkit! I missed you so much! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault that you died! I wish you could have been her with us!, she heard Gingerkit purr, You should listen to your denmates more often, Honeypaw. They are right, it's not your fault. And plus I'm in a happy place now! I'm always watching over you all, seeing you progress and grow. Everytime you think I'm not there. I am, like now. Honeypaw, you're losing faith in yourself. You need to stand up, and believe you can do something. And if you couldn't do it. Try again! That's the fun in growing up! I wished I was here but I'm happy where I am also right now. Honeypaw, have faith. And I will see you again someday..., the presence faded slowly and Honeypaw felt she could move again. She turned around to where she felt Gingerkit was standing then looked up in the sky
"Thank you Gingerkit." she whispered. She went back in the hunter's crouch and stalked the prey again. The words from Gingerkit repeated in her head: You need to stand up, and believe you can do something. And if you couldn't do it. Try again! That's the fun in growing up!. Honeypaw looked forward with determined eyes, Gingerkit is right. Try again and try again, she could feel the squirrel begin to scent her and so she bent down harder on her hind paws, That's the fun in growing up!, she pushed off her hind paws and surprisingly landed on the squirrel in one swift leap and she quickly finished it off with a bit to the neck. She stood a few mouse lengths away from it and panted and looked at it with widened eyes, I can't believe it! I caught it!. She smiled and picked it up. As she picked it up, she could smell Gingerkit's scent, Well done, Honeypaw. I think you have got your faith back, she said. Honeypaw looked up in the sky as Gingerkit's scent faded, And that's all thanks to you, Gingerkit. Your message has come through to me.
"Silverpaw and Rainpaw. Please step forward." both of the apprentices went in front to Cloudstar and stood there, tall and proud
"I, Cloudstar, leader of ThunderClan. Call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." Cloudstar looked at both of them
"Silverpaw and Rainpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Silverpaw and Rainpaw nodded
"I do"
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Silverpaw, from this moment you will be known as Silverstripe. And Rainpaw, from this moment you will be known as Rainstorm. StarClan honors both of you for your enthusiasm to learn and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." both of the new warriors took turns to lick Cloudstar's shoulder and they stepped down as the whole Clan chanted their new names.
Now it was Honeypaw and Stormpaw's turn. They felt so nervous that when they stepped onto the high rock, they nearly slipped and fell off. "I, Cloudstar, leader of ThundeClan. Call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." he looked down at them
"Honeypaw and Stormpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan even at the cost of your life?" both of the apprentices nodded
"I do"
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Stormpaw, from this moment you will be known as Stormwave. And Honeypaw, from this moment you will be known as Honeywing. Starclan honors both of you for your courage and patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Stormwave and Honeywing exchanged happy glances with each other and took turns to lick Cloudstar's shoulder. The whole Clan chanted their new names and Cloudstar told them that they had to sit vigil for the whole night and they nodded.
As they went to their new den, they were greeted by praises from every single cat. Honeywing just noticed how many warriors there are now and that soon enough, some will become elders since some were getting older and older. Honeywing chose a mossbed for herself and saw Silverstripe settle down beside her and started washing his tabby fur. Honeywing felt tired and decided she should sleep now and wake up later to take on her vigil with the other new warriors. She lay down and closed her eyes and soon enough, she fell into a deep sleep.
I just want to say, thank you for the reviews! It makes me happy to see that people are actually reading my story! I hope you liked this chapter! And as always...Please review! More chapters will be released soon over the week!