Equinoxpaw shook violently.
"Just pounce!" Ashpaw urged.
"I-I can't!" he stuttered.
Dustpaw crouched impatiently in front of Equinoxpaw.
"Seriously, Equinoxpaw, just go!" Dustpaw sighed.
"B-but I don't wanna h-hurt you." Equinoxpaw was still stuttering.
Ashpaw rolled her eyes. She didn't see her brother learning anything about battle today anytime soon. Smirking wickedly, Ashpaw threw herself at her brother. He gave a startled yelp before tumbling head over heels onto Dustpaw. Ashpaw watched, satisfied.
"What was that for?!" Equinoxpaw cried.
Ashpaw snorted. "You weren't going to move. Honestly, no ShadowClan cat is going to wait for some one to push you onto them."
"Ashpaw is right. Sometimes accidents do happen during training, but every apprentice comes out with a few bumps and bruises at some point." Burnpelt told him gently.
Equinoxpaw only nodded, ashamed.
"Ashpaw, show your brother what to do." Smoketail instructed.
Ashpaw nodded. Facing Dustpaw, she crouched down, claws sheathed. Dustpaw drew back his lips to reveal white, pointed fangs in mockery. Determined to show she was unafraid, Ashpaw rushed forward, only to draw back again. Dustpaw was startled at her tactics. It was Ashpaw's turn to smirk now. The two circled eachother, light on their paws. Suddenly, Ashpaw launched herself onto Dustpaw, knocking him off his paws. She pinned him down, front paws on either side of his head, one back paw pressed against his belly. Dustpaw, seeing he couldn't scratch at her soft underbelly, knew he was defeated.
"Well done!" Smoketail praised.
Smiling, Ashpaw jumped off her denmate and trotted towards her mentor. Suddenly, she crashed down onto the ground, legs pinned beneath her body.
"Never turn your back on an enemy." Dustpaw hissed in her ear.
"Thanks for that." she hissed back. Dustpaw got off her back.
"Now, Equinoxpaw, try again." Burnpelt meowed.
"...Okay." he replied.
Equinoxpaw pounced towards Dustpaw, who was waiting. Just in time, Dustpaw sidestepped and Equinoxpaw hit the ground with a loud thud. Dustpaw pounced on him. Not to be defeated, Equinoxpaw flipped his body over and squashed Dustpaw against the ground.
"It's almost sunhigh, we'd best be getting back to camp." Darkflower announced.
The others agreed and bound off back to camp.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Hightree for a Warrior naming ceremony!" Yellowstar's voice rang out across RiverClan camp.
Bluepaw and Ashpaw trotted out together and sat together. The senior apprentices, Wingpaw and Aspenpaw, sat neatly and freshly groomed together at the base of the Hightree. Once the Clan was assembled, Yellowstar confronted them.
"Wingpaw, Aspenpaw, you have trained hard to become warriors. You will now be rewarded."
Then, turning her head to the sky, Yellowstar's voice rose loudly.
"StarClan, please look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to learn and follow your Warrior Code."
She looked down at Wingpaw and Aspenpaw again.
"Wingpaw, do you promise to uphold the Warrior Code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your own life?" Yellowstar asked.
Wingpaw flushed. "I do." the she-cat replied breathlessly.
"Then by the power vested in me by StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Wingpaw, from this day forward you will be known as Wingflower."
Next she turned to Aspenpaw.
"Aspenpaw, do you promise to uphold the Warrior Code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Yellowstar's amber eyes flashed.
"I do," the tom replied.
"Then by the power vested in me by StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Aspenpaw, from this day on you will be named Aspenmoon."
The Clan rose in cheers, "Wingflower, Aspenmoon!"
"It can't be long now till our warrior ceremonies," Bluepaw whispered to Ashpaw, "I mean, we've been at it for nearly a season!"
"I know," Ashpaw replied.
The Clan began to beak away, shouting out their congratulations to the new warriors. Wingflower and Aspenmoon walked past where Ashpaw and Bluepaw were sitting. Aspenmoon cast a meaningful glance at Bluepaw, who flushed as he walked away.
"Isn't he so amazing?" Bluepaw asked in a dreamy voice.
"Um..." Ashpaw wasn't quite sure how to reply. "I hadn't really thought of it."
"I know you don't like him the way I do, Ashpaw." Bluepaw meowed. " But one day you'll find some one to love, too." her friend sighed.
Ashpaw looked confused. "But I do have cats to love, my brothers and my mother!" she meowed.
"I don't think you really love them." Bluepaw replied. "I mean to say, I've seen the looks you give them, and I think you express barely-contained annoyance."
Ashpaw started. "But you have a brother, do you not love him?!"
Bluepaw looked at her friend. " You know what I think?" she asked.
Ashpaw rolled her eyes. "Oh, what?"
"I think it would be so cool if you became Dustpaw's mate." Bluepaw smiled.
Ashpaw felt her jaw practically hit the ground. "No. Just...no! That would never happen! I'm sorry, Bluepaw, I just don't think I'll ever love anyone over my family." Ashpaw meowed harshly.
Bluepaw shook her head. "I disagree."
"Family will always come first for me!" Ashpaw growled.
"Family," Bluepaw sighed," you don't even know who the other half of your family is."
Anger bubbled inside Ashpaw.
"Oh, and I suppose you do!" and with that, Ashpaw turned and stalked off towards the apprentice den. Bluepaw watched her friend go sadly.
"I will find you some one to love, Ashpaw," Bluepaw vowed to herself, "I will. And there is nothing you can do to stop me. You can't push them away forever."