CHAPTER FORTY SIX

The air was crisp with frost as Smokepaw wove her way through the sparse undergrowth. With the moon hanging low beyond the trees, it provided the only source of light for her. Not that she didn't mind the lack of light. She used her sensitive whiskers and careful pawsteps to help guide her through the forest and the marsh. ShadowClan was known for patrolling and hunting at night, and she was determined to prove that she too could do just that.

Briarheart was just a few pawsteps ahead of her, glancing over her shoulder constantly to make sure Smokepaw was keeping up. With such an important night ahead, Smokepaw planned on making sure that she proved her own mentor wrong. Russetstar had already claimed that she was ready to become a warrior, and this assessment would only add to his encouragement.

"Now, since this is your first assessment of the night, I want to make sure that you're ready for it," Briarheart meowed once they reached the training area. The marsh was only a few fox-lengths ahead of them, providing the perfect place where she could try out her hunting skills, "So, I want you to bring back as much prey as you can before moonhigh. After that, we can get some rest, and tomorrow, you'll have your battling assessment."

Excitement surged through Smokepaw at the prospect. She had already proven herself a hunter after catching several prey during a hunting patrol. Briarheart was always impressed with how quickly she learned. Though, Smokepaw wasn't going to admit that Russetstar had helped move her along her training.

With that thought in mind, she carefully made her way to the marsh where lizards and frogs were usually abundant.

Most cats hated the slippery prey that ShadowClan feasted upon. Smokepaw learned to adapt quickly to the prey that ShadowClan caught. As much as it disgusted her that she had to touch slimy prey, it was better than starving to death.

Luckily, it didn't take long for her to find her first frog. Smokepaw listened carefully for the noises it made, slipping silently through the undergrowth until she was within striking distance. Frogs were fast hoppers, and that made hunting them a bit tricky.

Good thing I know how to take them down, Smokepaw thought, narrowing her eyes as she lunged and caught it with ease.

The frog was dead before it knew what happened. It took everything Smokepaw had not to purr in triumph once she returned to solid ground. By now, most of her fur was soaked in mud and water from the marsh, though at this point, she'd learned to deal with it.

Getting her fur wet was just another way of adapting to Clan life. Any cat unfamiliar with how the Clans lived would soon find themselves running for the hill. Unless of course they were willing to learn. She shook her head at the thought, focusing her attention on the hunt.

Once Smokepaw had caught enough prey, she noticed with a start that the moon was already high in the sky. Her whiskers twitched in amusement as she wondered what Briarheart was doing. She knew her mentor had been planning on keeping an eye on her throughout the assessment. All mentors were supposed to do just that.

Smokepaw blinked in surprise when she returned to the spot where she was meeting with Briarheart. Sure enough, the older she-cat was still waiting for her. Her tail lashed in annoyance when she noticed that Briarheart didn't even look as if she'd left her spot.

"That's a good haul you have, there," Briarheart congratulated her after noticing the amount of prey Smokepaw was bringing back, "That should be more than enough to feed half the Clan."

You would think that, Smokepaw nearly rolled her eyes, knowing that feeding the Clan always came first.

"Did you see the way I took down the frog, earlier?" she asked, her voice hopeful as Briarheart looked almost bored.

"Hm? Of course," Briarheart finally replied when Smokepaw looked at her warily.

Her claws sheathed and unsheathed as realization struck at Smokepaw. She wasn't even interested! All she wanted was to prove herself to her mentor and the rest of the Clan. After everything that had happened, this was what mattered to her the most.

I will prove to them all that I'm the best warrior around the lake, she thought determinedly.

...

"She's passed her hunting assessment with flying colors," Briarheart meowed after they returned to camp.

Russetstar was waiting for them when they arrived. Smokepaw found herself glaring at the ground as shame crawled through her. She knew Briarheart hadn't seen everything, and clearly didn't care whether she passed or not. The worst was seeing how impressed Russetstar looked after hearing her mentor's approval.

"It sounds as if you are ready for your final assessment, Smokepaw," the ShadowClan leader nodded in approval.

"Thank you, Russetstar," she nodded her thanks, feeling resentful when Briarheart returned the gesture.

"Would you mind giving us a few moments alone?"

Smokepaw's ears pricked forward in confusion upon hearing that. Briarheart looked as if she was ready to argue when she seemed to think better of it. Her tail lashed once before she gave a curt nod and left them alone, shooting Smokepaw a wary look along the way.

"She didn't even act like she cared," she growled under her breath once Briarheart was gone.

Before she could continue complaining, Russetstar suddenly lashed out at her. She winced at the sudden pain that followed, flinching under his piercing glare.

"You should know by now that it is pointless to speak out against your leader," he spat. Smokepaw struggled to keep her fur from standing on end with outrage. She knew better than to argue with him. With moons of experience and nine lives, she was no match against him, "Now, even though she said you passed your assessment, I have one final test that you must take. This will truly test whether or not you are worthy of becoming a warrior."

That caught Smokepaw's attention. After everything she had been through, this was her final test. She couldn't hide the sudden spark of excitement that followed. The fact that Russetstar himself had taken the time to train her in areas where Briarheart wouldn't had left her heart swelling with pride. Russetstar knew what potential she had as a warrior, and, he wasn't afraid to push her to her limits.

"The border patrol returned with some news regarding WindClan," Grayshadow suddenly interrupted them. His ear flicked when he looked between Russetstar and Smokepaw. She couldn't help but duck her head under the deputy's piercing gaze. He knew something was going on between them, though, Grayshadow also was smart enough not to speak up against the ShadowClan leader. "Cloudfall mentioned seeing Icestar among the patrol, as if he's scoping the territory."

WindClan always thinks they can take everything from us, Smokepaw nearly rolled her eyes at the thought.

She had seen what WindClan cats were like during the Gathering. Most of them were arrogant and hotheaded, often bragging about how fast they were in battle. It was mostly big-talk for a couple of cats who were too proud to admit they could get their tails beaten off of them in battle.

"Smokepaw, go and join the other apprentices while we discuss this matter," Russetstar dismissed her with a wave of his tail.

Smokepaw's mouth hung open, and, she was ready to argue when she thought better of it. Seeing the serious look written across Grayshadow's face told her that this was something they needed to discuss in private.

She lashed her tail before padding across the clearing to meet the other apprentices. Though, none of them ever seemed to get along with her.

Bramblepaw and Newtpaw were play-fighting by the fresh-kill pile, while Marshpaw emerged from the elder's den with a long branch between her teeth. Longpaw was out on patrol with Sageleaf, and wouldn't likely be back until later tonight.

Those who weren't on patrol were busy discussing what Grayshadow had reported to Russetstar. Rumors of Icestar's presence among the WindClan patrol were already spreading like wildfire. It left Smokepaw's fur bristling with unease as she wondered what they were planning. Icestar may have been just as hotheaded as the rest of his Clanmates, but, he wasn't a fool. She had seen just how ambitious he could be during the Gathering, and the potential he had as a leader.

"I can't believe Russetstar thinks it's a good idea to dismiss something like this so easily," Sleetstorm growled as she paced back and forth beside the sparring apprentices.

She had taken Bramblepaw out earlier for battle training, though, it was obvious that she wasn't doing that good of a job at maintaining his attitude.

"Maybe he's targeting us because we allowed a rogue to join the Clan," Talonclaw suggested. He was sharing a frog with Barktail, who listened with keen interest.

Smokepaw's hackles rose when she realized they were glancing in her direction. She knew there were still quite a few cats who didn't think letting her join the Clan was a good idea. Sleetstorm was one of the many cats who argued constantly with whatever choices she made.

"That's mousebrained; if anything, they should be hostile towards ThunderClan," Barktail finally spoke up after tearing a piece of the frog off. "Besides, Russetstar has never been wrong about anything else. He took Smokepaw in because she needed our help, and, she's proven herself over."

That was enough for Smokepaw to blink in surprise. She had to force back a purr of gratitude when she realized Barktail was standing up for her. Both Sleetstorm and Talonclaw just looked at Barktail as if he'd sprouted wings, before Sleetstorm narrowed her eyes.

"Since when did a rogue become an asset to our Clan?" she huffed irritably.

"Since she brought back the prey we're currently sharing," Barktail replied without missing a beat.

His whiskers twitched in amusement when Talonclaw leaned back, wrinkling his nose in disgust as if he'd stomached a bad piece of fresh-kill. Even Sleetstorm recoiled in disgust, though, she did a good job at masking it with a lash of her tail.

They didn't bother continuing the argument, after that. Smokepaw watched in amusement as they finally left, with Talonclaw grumbling under his breath and Sleetstorm narrowing her eyes in annoyance as they reached the warrior's den.

"Thank you," she sighed in relief once they were gone.

"Don't ever let what they said get to you," Barktail told her, blinking warmly at the apprentice, "They've got bees in their brains if they don't see you as their Clanmate."

For the first time since joining ShadowClan, Smokepaw found her mind reeling with confusion and surprise at his compliment.

Barktail was one of the first warriors to actually tell her that he was her Clanmate. It was enough for her chest to swell with pride at the realization that at least someone trusted her. He may have been an older warrior, but, it meant more than she would ever admit out loud.

"I've always felt like an outsider in the Clan because everyone sees me as the rogue they were forced to take in," she murmured after letting her shoulders relax a little.

"I'm afraid there isn't much I can do about that," Barktail admitted. "You have the heart and spirit of a ShadowClan warrior, and to me, that's all that matters."

Smokepaw gave a slight nod at that, feeling more than relieved that she finally found someone who actually wanted to talk to her. Maybe being a Clan cat wasn't so bad, after all. Between that and the final assessment that Russetstar planned for her, she knew she could make it in the Clan. Especially if she continued down the path she was currently taking.

AN: That moment when you realize you've skipped over a character... I honestly don't even know how that happened; I'm usually better at keeping track of my writing D: Anywho, Smoky may or may not get two chapters in a row... I'm debating over it. She's my favorite out of everyone, and, I haven't even come close to explaining her real history with ShadowClan (that'll be a fun chapter to write). So, I wanted to thank Liquiir for reviewing! I know it's been over a month, and I apologize for the long delay, but, I did warn everyone that my updates would be slow ^^

Liquiir - Thank you! Yeah, writer's block is a pain in the arse. It seems to hit me when I least expect, and it takes forever to get out of it. I actually did read DOTC, but, when I wrote this, it was before that series came out. Unfortunately, because of that, I probably won't be incorporating it into this timeline. Thanks again for reviewing; hopefully you enjoyed this chapter too, even if it was a little boring to me ^^