"Do you think Crookedstar made the right choice?" Equinoxpaw murmured to his sister.
Ashpaw paused before replying.
"No. But I do think we should give Oakheart a chance at deputy." she meowed.
"I dunno, guys, Oakheart seems kinda..." Bluepaw trailed off.
"Murderous?" Equinoxpaw and Ashpaw suggested together.
"Yeah." Bluepaw meowed.
Dustpaw walked in, shuddering.
"Have you heard that guy's voice?" he asked, "It sounds like stones raking across eachother!"
Winterpaw spoke up.
"Be nice to him! Who cares if he's kinda creepy? At least we have a deputy!" he meowed.
"True." Equinoxpaw mewed.
Aspenmoon trotted past the apprentices.
"Oh StarClan, do I look OK?" Bluepaw hissed.
Dustpaw rolled his eyes.
"Don't start!" he moaned.
"No seriously, I want to make a good impression!" his sister retorted.
"Okay...moving on. When do you think our assessments will be?" Ashpaw asked.
"Soon, hopefully." Winterpaw replied.
"Within the moon." Dustpaw agreed.
Equinoxpaw smiled," How about...sooner rather than later?" he suggested.
"Hey, Dustpaw!" Darkflower called," Come on! You apprentices are having your assessments today!"
"Ha! Ironic much?" Ashpaw laughed.
Dustpaw butted her ion the back.
"Let's just go!" he yowled.
Bluepaw jumped after the others. Meeting up with the mentors, the five friends bound out of the camp.
"Alright," Leafnose began," First we will do the battle assessments."
Okay, Dustpaw and Winterpaw are up first. Dustpaw will attack and Winterpaw will defend." Burnpelt instructed.
The two nodded and faced eachother.
"Good luck." Winterpaw whispered.
"And you." Dustpaw replied.
Dustpaw jumped at Winterpaw, but Winterpaw was fast. He sidestepped and pounced onto Dustpaw when the light brown tom crashed down to Earth. Dustpaw struggled to get up, be he was pinned.
"Well done, Winterpaw and Dustpaw! Now switch. Winterpaw, attack and Dustpaw, defend." Darkflower meowed.
The battle went similar to the first round, Dustpaw pinning Winterpaw on his stomach.
"Next up, Equinoxpaw and Bluepaw." Whitespot meowed.
Equinoxpaw, his confidence now grown, faked a pounce at Bluepaw, confusing her. Then he barreled into her, knocking her off her paws and into the undergrowth.
"Equinoxpaw, good job! Bluepaw, you attack now."
Bluepaw crouched low and circled Equinoxpaw quickly. Stealthily, she slipped underneath him and battered at his belly. Equinoxpaw gave a startled cry and jumped onto her belly. Bluepaw gasped and flipped herself back up, panting.
"Well done, both of you." Whitespot praised.
"Ashpaw, you will fight me." Smoketail meowed.
Ashpaw felt a surge of surprise and nervousness. Fight her mentor?
"Alright." she replied confidently.
Ashpaw faced Smoketail and rushed forward then pulled back, like she had done with Dustpaw before. Smoketail jumped back momentarily confused. Ashpaw saw her chance and took it. She pounced over Smoketail's head and onto her back, lodging her claws into the fur to keep a hold. Smoketail tried to roll, but Ashpaw quickly sprung up and landed, perfectly balanced, on her mentor's belly, crouched with her jaws inches away from her throat.
"Good, Ashpaw." Leafnose meowed.
Ashpaw jumped off her mentor and sat with the other apprentices.
"Well done, all of you." Burnpelt mewed, his gaze sweeping over all five of them.
"Now for your hunting assessment. Go off and catch as much pray as you can before we call you back. Ready...go!" Leafnose mewed.
The apprentices bound off across the territory. Ashpaw parted her jaws and caught the scent of pigeon. Stalking through the heather, she pounced on the unsuspecting bird and killed it before it could sound off a warning call. She buried her catch under a holly bush and continued on. Later she could hear Whitespot calling for the apprentices to return. Ashpaw picked up he catches, cosseting of a pigeon, two mice, a water vole and a fish, and carried them back. She was the first to arrive. Smoketail inspected her catches and praised her. Winterpaw came back with three mice, two fish and a grouse. Dustpaw had a vole, three fish and three mice also, and Bluepaw brought back four mice and two sandpipers. Equinoxpaw returned with three fish and five mice.
"A hefty load!" Darkflower exclaimed, "The Clan will eat well with hunters like you five."
The apprentices, glowing with pride, followed their mentors back to camp.
Depositing their freshkill on the pile, the apprentices trotted to their den.
"I thought I was going to miss that last mouse!" Dustpaw exclaimed.
"We all did really well." Equinoxpaw meowed.
"Right. Not long now and we'll be warriors!" Dustpaw gloated.
Ashpaw snickered.
"Give it a while, guys." Bluepaw teased.
"How long?" Winterpaw asked.
"Hmm...a couple days, give or take." Ashpaw replied.
Winterpaw smiled. Curling up in their nests, the five drifted off into excited slumbers.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Hightree for a Warrior Naming ceremony!" Crookedstar yowled. Ashpaw, Winterpaw, Equinoxpaw, Bluepaw and Dustpaw sat proudly at the base of the tree, where Aspenmoon and Wingflower had sat not long ago. Echosong and Skyheart sat nearby, glowing with pride. Slowly, the rest of the Clan assembled around them. Crookedstar looked down at the five cats.
"Ashpaw, Winterpaw, Equinoxpaw, Bluepaw and Dustpaw. You have all trained hard to learn to defend your Clan. Do you promise with your life's blood to defend you Clan, even at the cost of your life?" he began.
"I do." the apprentices replied together.
"Then I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these five apprentices. They have trained hard to learn and follow your noble code, and now is the time to reward them. Dustpaw, RiverClan honors your Leadership and Courage, from now on your name will be Dustrise." Crookedstar meowed.
Dustrise dipped his head respectfully.
"Bluepaw your Clan honors your Concern for others and your Loyalty. You will be known as Bluefire."
Bluefire nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Crookedstar."
"Equinoxpaw, RiverClan honors your Confidence and Common Sense, which many seem to be lacking nowadays. You will be called Equinoxrise."
Equinoxrise murmured his thanks.
"Winterpaw. RiverClan honors your Strength and Dedication. You will be known as, from this moment on, Winterfury."
Winterfury dipped his head.
"Ashpaw. RiverClan honors your Fearlessness and Quiet Determination. Forevermore you will be known as Ashwinter."
Ashwinter also dipped her head.
"Let you five be an Inspiration to us all. May StarClan light your paths." Crookedstar finished.
"Dustrise! Bluefire! Equinoxrise! Winterfury! Ashwinter!" the Clan chorused.
"Congratulations." Echosong murmured to her children.
"Thank you, mother." Equinoxrise answered for all of them.
The new warriors padded to the warrior den to find their nests already made. It was nearly moonhigh, they figured they best be getting to sleep. Winterfury lay down next to Ashwinter.
"Winterfury? I don't get the "fury" part..." he whispered.
"Be glad you have your warrior name." Ashwinter hissed.
"Still, sometimes I wonder what that old quack is thinking..."he mewed.
Ashwinter jabbed him with her hind paw. "Be nice!"
Winterfury sighed "Fine..."
"I agree with you, Winterfury..." Dustrise muttered," But can we please get some sleep?"
"Shut up." Bluefire groaned.
"...Sorry." Winterfury meowed.
"Just go to sleep." Equinoxrise murmured.
"." Bluefire snorted.
"." Dustrise taunted her.
"Dustrise..."Winterfury warned.
"SHUT UP!!" Bluefire almost yowled.
"What's got her fur in a ruffle?" Dustrise muttered before falling into sleep like every one else.