The song of birds chattered through the long swaying branches of the birch trees in the distance as Pearpaw stood next to Stormpaw. Stormpaw's gray-and-white tabby fur fluffed up with excitement as his mentor, Longbranch, explained the workings of their assignment to the two cats. Pearpaw was aware of Stormpaw's claws flexing in and out, and he hoped to StarClan he wouldn't embarrass the older apprentice.
"Stormpaw, it's time for your warrior assessment," Longbranch was meowing. "The first part of your assignment will be working in a team. Your partner will be Pearpaw, and I want you to work with him in catching prey. The purpose of this assignment is to see how well you can work in a team and how you can give orders to your partner."
"Is Sagepaw getting the same assignment?" Stormpaw asked his mentor.
Longbranch nodded. "Rootpaw will be her partner."
Stormpaw glanced at Pearpaw. "Better keep up with me," he said.
"I will!" Pearpaw declared.
The brown-and-white warrior assessed the two apprentices with a calculating hazel gaze. "I will be watching you, but you will not know I will be there," he warned the two apprentices, flicking his tail. Then he melted into the shadows of the long oaks, disappearing from plain sight. Stormpaw watched his mentor go and then tilted his head, deep in thought. Pearpaw waited for the older apprentice to give him orders, but when Stormpaw didn't speak, Pearpaw decided to suggest something.
"Maybe we should try for something really hard?" Pearpaw asked. "To impress Longbranch."
Stormpaw's fur ruffled. "What did you have in mind?" he inquired.
"Well, my father used to tell me that he would catch pheasants up north in the forest," Pearpaw explained, recalling back to the stories Coalshadow would tell him and Rootpaw at night, when they were just kits in the nursery to help them fall asleep. "It would take two cats, but that's why you have me! And I think we can do it."
"A pheasant, huh?" Stormpaw's eyes glinted with interest. "Hmm. You may be the youngest apprentice, but you're not stupid. All right, then. Let's try it out."
Wow, he actually listened to me! A warm pleasure kindled inside of Pearpaw's heart as he followed Stormpaw through the forest. Stormpaw's legs were longer and bulkier than Pearpaw's, even though Pearpaw was filling out the more he trained, and so it was easier for the gray-and-white tom to make the run through the uneven terrain. As they ran further and further north, Pearpaw felt his fur start to prickle with uneasiness. He hadn't been in the north of ThunderClan territory before. Oakfire hadn't taken him yet, claiming it was too rugged and hostile for him yet. As Pearpaw tried to climb ditches and fallen branches, he realized that Oakfire was probably right. But Stormpaw powered through the forest with considerable ease, and Pearpaw guessed this wasn't the apprentice's first time here.
Stormpaw flicked his tail, ordering Pearpaw to stop. Pearpaw skidded to a halt and sniffed the air. He hadn't scented pheasant before, so he wasn't quite sure what he had to look for. But from the incessant sniffing of Stormpaw's nose, and the excitement that glittered in his vivid blue eyes, Pearpaw assumed that he had smelled something. Is it pheasant?
"Did you smell it?" Pearpaw hissed through clenched teeth, trying to keep his voice as low as possible.
The gray-and-white apprentice nodded. Triumph warmed Pearpaw's pelt. His plan was going to work! Well, Stormpaw has to work out the semantics. This is his assessment, after all. But I'm glad we're at least going for a pheasant.
"Follow me," Stormpaw mewed quietly, slinking through the forest on his light paws. Pearpaw was on his heels, making sure not to disturb anything beneath him that would give the cats away to the pheasant. He tasted the air and could make out what Stormpaw had scented—it smelled an awful lot like a raven, but tinged with a muskiness that Pearpaw didn't associate with any other type of bird. He shrugged. At least he knew what to look out for next time.
Pearpaw peered through the woods and caught a glimpse of the pheasant. It was a massive bird, nearly the size of Stormpaw himself. It was round and plump with dark brown and black feathers. It was pecking at a worm in the ground, its beady eyes focused on its prey, with no idea that two hunters were surrounding it. Pearpaw could feel his mouth water already at such a big bird. It could feed the queens and the elders, and there'd still be food leftover!
"Okay, here's what I want you to do," Stormpaw hissed in Pearpaw's ear. "We can't risk this bird getting away. So I need you to drive it towards me."
The gray tabby tom nodded. "Okay, and how do you want me to do that?"
"Go around the trees," Stormpaw said, flicking his tail towards the thick throng of oaks that surrounded the pheasant. "Don't let it see you. When you're at the tree that's directly parallel to its wings, leap out and drive it towards me. I'll be right here, waiting for it to come, and then I'll kill it. Got it?" His amber eyes bore straight into Pearpaw's fur, as if he was seeing straight into his soul. Pearpaw gulped, realizing that the tom wouldn't forgive him if he messed up his catch. I won't, he vowed.
"Got it." Pearpaw slinked away, making sure his pawsteps were light and the wind was blowing in the opposite direction as he carefully skirted the oak trees. He avoided small ditches and steered clear of rocks as he worked his way towards the tree that was directly parallel with the bird. When he was right behind the oak tree that Stormpaw had indicated, he poked his head out and saw the pheasant, still feasting on its worm. Pearpaw fluffed out his fur. Chase it straight towards Stormpaw, he reminded himself. He leapt out of the tree and charged at the pheasant with his claws outstretched, hissing furiously. The pheasant let out a squawk of alarm, and it attempted to race in the other direction. But Pearpaw wouldn't let it. He blocked off its only escape route, and it had no choice but to head towards the trees where Stormpaw was hiding.
As the pheasant raced towards the trees, Stormpaw emerged from the oaks and lunged at the pheasant. He sank his teeth deep into the pheasant's throat, and the pheasant flailed in his grip, trying to release itself. Stormpaw looked up at Pearpaw, and the gray tabby lunged forward, helping Stormpaw by sinking his teeth in the back of the pheasant's neck. The pheasant fell, limp to the forest floor, its eyes glazed over with death. Pearpaw sat down on his haunches, breathing heavily. Stormpaw wiped his forehead with his paw before letting out a howl of victory.
Pearpaw gazed at the pheasant. What an incredible piece of prey! It was massive—bigger than any piece of prey Pearpaw had ever seen in his life. It was as round as the nest of the biggest warrior, and the tantalizing scent that rolled off it nearly made Pearpaw ready to dig into the bird right then and there. Even Stormpaw's whiskers were twitching, as if he wanted to eat it himself. Stormpaw bent down, and for a moment, Pearpaw wondered if he actually was eating it when he made out the gray-and-white apprentice's words.
"Thank you, StarClan, for this catch," Stormpaw was murmuring. He lifted his head. "And you, Pearpaw. I never would've been able to do this without you."
Don't thank StarClan, Pearpaw thought privately. You're right, you need to thank me. "You're welcome," Pearpaw said to the gray-and-white tabby. "It's a good catch, isn't it?"
"I bet Longbranch hasn't seen anything like it," Stormpaw purred. He sank his teeth into the pheasant's neck and tried to haul it up, but it fell down to the ground, and the gray-and-white cat let out a moan. "Ugh, it's so heavy. I'll never be able to carry this back to camp!"
"Let me help, then." Pearpaw padded over and tried to pick the pheasant up, but Stormpaw was right. The weight of the bird added strain to Pearpaw's neck, and he didn't think that he could carry it to camp, either. He frowned, wondering what exactly to do with the bird. A bigger cat would need to carry it. A cat like…
"Stormpaw, Pearpaw!" Longbranch's voice echoed through the trees, and the big warrior leaped out of the foliage, his amber eyes wide. He looked around, shock flickering in his gaze. "You went all the way here to hunt? Wait…" He paused as he glanced at the pheasant. "You caught that, Stormpaw?"
Stormpaw blinked at his mentor. "I wouldn't have caught it without Pearpaw," he said. "It was Pearpaw's idea to hunt up here, and he drove the pheasant towards me."
"But Stormpaw did exactly what you told him to, Longbranch," Pearpaw interfered. He wanted Stormpaw to be made a warrior today, and if Stormpaw hampered all the praise on him, then he wouldn't be. "Like you said, the point of the exercise was to work together in a team and to give orders. Stormpaw gave me all the orders, and I just obeyed him. His orders were what drove me to send the bird towards him, and he killed it."
Longbranch listened to both of the apprentices with his ears twitching. He let out a slow nod of approval, his hazel eyes admiring the pheasant. A smirk teased the edges of his lips. "Excellent job, Stormpaw," he mewed. "I'll bring this back to camp. You go back to the training clearing and wait for me to give you the second part of the assessment—not that I'm sure you'll need it, mind you," he added. "Pearpaw, come with me."
Pearpaw nodded. "Yes, Longbranch." He watched as the brown-and-white tom picked the pheasant up and hauled it on his back. Stormpaw shot off in a blur of gray-and-white, and Longbranch waited until he was gone. Then, Longbranch climbed down the rise and through the thick forest as he made his way towards camp. Pearpaw was on his heels the entire time, staring at the pheasant's lifeless eyes as it shook on his back.
The trees that Pearpaw knew well came into distance, and he breathed a sigh of relief that they were back on familiar terrain. It had been chilly and unfamiliar in the northern woods, and he wasn't sure he wanted to go back there again. But if we can find more pheasants there, it might be worth it, he thought to himself. As the thick trees that crowded the stone hollow became more and more unimpeded, he slowed his pace so he didn't end up running face-first into the camp. Longbranch found the place in the hollow where the gap was and entered, the pheasant dangling precariously from his broad back the entire time. He draped the pheasant near the thorn tunnel.
"Why aren't you bringing it inside?" Pearpaw asked Longbranch.
"It's Stormpaw's catch," Longbranch explained. "I want him to be the one to carry it back." The big tom tucked the pheasant underneath the thorns and gazed at Pearpaw. "Stormpaw is finished with the partner half of the assignment. Unless your mentor has any training for you planned today, you should get back to camp."
"Will Stormpaw pass?" Pearpaw inquired, unable to believe that he would rest if he didn't know what would happen to Stormpaw.
"Most likely," Longbranch replied, his eyes glowing. "I've never seen an apprentice catch a pheasant before." He gazed warmly at Pearpaw. "And don't worry, I'll mention to Oakfire how vital your help was in catching it."
Pearpaw puffed out his chest in pride. He couldn't wait to tell Flamepaw and Lightningpaw! I hope they're in camp, he thought while squeezing through the thorn tunnel, wincing as the barbs scratched his skin. He emerged on the other side and headed towards the cave that made the apprentices' den. Lightningpaw and Flamepaw were lounging outside of it, looking bored. Pearpaw remembered that their mentors had been called on patrol this afternoon—they were scouting the WindClan border, which had high levels of activity reported on it, and so Sootfall did not think it was safe to bring the apprentices on the patrol.
"Guess what!" Pearpaw exclaimed as he approached the two cats. Both of them smelled like mouse-bile, and Pearpaw guessed they had just finished taking off the elders' ticks. Thank StarClan I wasn't there for that!
Lightningpaw twitched his cream-colored ears as Pearpaw bounded towards him. "What is it?" he asked, looking Pearpaw up and down.
Flamepaw's eyes were half-narrowed as he studied Pearpaw intently. "Whatever it is, spit it out," he growled, "or else you'll probably explode."
"I helped Stormpaw catch a pheasant!" Pearpaw boasted, ignoring the barbs in Flamepaw's tone.
"What?" Lightningpaw looked up, his green eyes wide with shock. "Did you say a pheasant?"
Flamepaw snorted. "I won't believe it 'til I see it!"
"You'll see it soon, trust me," Pearpaw told Flamepaw. "Longbranch wants Stormpaw to bring it in camp."
"So that means Stormpaw caught it," Flamepaw argued.
"I helped him!" Pearpaw retorted, the fur on the back of his spine bristling. Why did Flamepaw insist on countering everything he said? "I suggested that we searched for pheasants, and I drove it towards him! It was so heavy, he couldn't even kill it alone. I had to finish it off for him!"
Lightningpaw looked genuinely impressed, while Flamepaw had a scowl fixed on his face. Pearpaw turned his back on Flamepaw. Be like that! he thought crossly. He's probably just jealous that he never caught a pheasant! Pearpaw padded over to the fresh-kill pile, and just as he was about to pick up a bird, a shadow fell over him. He looked up to see Foxstorm.
"Rootpaw brought prey to the elders this morning," the black-and-ginger tom growled. "Take something to the queens and the kits before you take something for yourself."
Pearpaw's fur fluffed up. Everyone bosses me around! He gave Foxstorm a stiff nod and grabbed the ears of a fat rabbit, dragging it out from the fresh-kill pile. This should feed a kit or two, he thought. Foxstorm twitched his ears and gave him an approving nod, padding away towards the warriors' den, where he touched noses with Brookfeather. Pearpaw snorted in irritation—did Brookfeather think she'd be more respected in ThunderClan if she became mates with Foxstorm?
Realizing that sulking would get him nowhere, Pearpaw brought the rabbit to the woven bramble thicket where the queens and the kits slept. He gave it a second glance, recalling how cramped he felt when he had spent his entire kit hood in the den. Going out with Brookfeather had seemed like such an adventure, and now, he did it every day. He dropped the rabbit at the entrance of the den, and when the dead animal hit the forest floor with a thud, he could hear small pawsteps scuttering from the nursery.
Hailkit and Ravenkit, just three moons old, fought each other to get to the rabbit first. Behind them were the bigger kits, Dovekit and Bearkit, close to being apprenticed. Pearpaw twitched his whiskers, remembering how easily he overpowered Bearkit when they were play-wrestling in the nursery. Bearkit had seemed to double in size ever since then—he would make a fierce warrior. But not as fierce as me!
"Is this for us?" Ravenkit squealed, pawing the rabbit with tiny black-and-white paws.
"We have to share!" Hailkit argued with his sister.
Ravenkit headbutted the gray kit in the side. "You eat so much, it'll be gone before I have a chance to even get a bite!" She leaped onto her brother, engaging in a play-fight, and the two kits scuffled until they rolled across the clearing towards the fresh-kill pile. Pearpaw's whiskers twitched in faint amusement and he glanced at Bearkit and Dovekit.
"Does Streamstone know when your apprentice ceremony will be?" Pearpaw asked the older kits.
Bearkit shook his head. "She hasn't said anything yet," he replied, casting a concerned look at Dovekit. Dovekit met Pearpaw's gaze steadily, and the fear in her dazzling blue eyes unsettled him. In contrast to the solemn, serious look in Bearkit's gaze, Dovekit looked unsure of herself and her place. Will she make a good warrior? Pearpaw thought to himself.
"Well, the rabbit is for you guys," Pearpaw said. He looked up to see Streamstone exiting the nursery, her brown tabby fur brushing the brambles. The queen's blue eyes glowed as she looked down at the rabbit and she gave Pearpaw an approving nod.
"I overheard you," Streamstone said. Pearpaw flinched, wondering if Streamstone was mad at him for asking the new kits that, "and the answer is not yet. Dovekit needs some time to fill out." She swept her tail over Dovekit's spine. "And we can start by eating that rabbit, right, Dovekit?"
Dovekit shrugged her slight shoulders. Pearpaw realized that she was awfully small compared to her brother. Even Rootkit was bigger than she was when he was her age. Streamstone waved her plumy tail at Pearpaw, a blatant dismissal. Pearpaw turned on his heel and bounded across camp. He flicked his tail in excitement when he saw Longbranch and Falconheart entering camp. Stormpaw and Sagepaw must be with them! For a brief second, he wondered where Rootpaw was. Rootpaw was supposed to be helping Sagepaw with the partner part of her assessment. Probably wandered off to pick flowers again, he thought wryly. Why can't Rootpaw take his training seriously?
Longbranch headed straight to the Highledge, Falconheart on his heels. Pearpaw's tail waved in excitement as he saw Stormpaw and Sagepaw share the weight of the pheasant together as they dragged it to the fresh-kill pile. Yowls and cries of approval rang through the cats in the clearing as they examined Stormpaw's catch.
"A pheasant!" Coalshadow exclaimed, his round blue eyes wide with shock. "I've never seen a catch like that before! Well done, Stormpaw!"
Flurrypetal's tail twitched from where she was sitting at the entrance of the nursery. "I'll be damned," she mewed, staring at the pheasant on the fresh-kill pile. "Well done."
Stormpaw's amber eyes glowed with pride as the rest of his Clanmates surrounded him, hampering praise on him until he disappeared into a throng of different-colored pelts. Pearpaw kept waiting for the gray-and-white tom to mention his name, but if he did, Pearpaw didn't hear it. He unsheathed his claws and dug them into the ground with frustration bubbling in his blood. If it weren't for me, Stormpaw would've never caught it. Where's my praise?
A yowl echoed through the camp, and Pearpaw looked up to see Flintstar climbing the Highledge. His silver tabby pelt was silhouetted by the late afternoon sun. Longbranch and Falconheart emerged from the cave that made Flintstar's den and descended down the tumble of rocks, giving their apprentices proud nods. Sagepaw and Stormpaw exchanged an elated glance as the Clan cats began to gather, chattering like starlings.
Pearpaw caught the glimpse of his brother's black-and-white pelt at the entrance of camp. He bounded over to Rootpaw, but his brother held no prey in his mouth. Instead, he simply held a midnight-blue flower. Pearpaw let out a sigh.
"Don't you know you're supposed to be hunting birds and not flowers?" Pearpaw retorted dryly.
Rootpaw still held the stem in his mouth when he replied, "I'm using it for my nest."
"Because a flower will make you more comfortable," Pearpaw growled.
"It's pretty." Rootpaw walked past Pearpaw, his coat brushing against Pearpaw's side as he headed for the apprentices' den.
"Wait!" Pearpaw called out. Rootpaw stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Aren't you going to stay to watch the warrior ceremony?"
Rootpaw blinked twice. "I had faith they'd pass." With those words delivered, he turned back and headed into the apprentices' den, and did not reappear. Pearpaw stared at his brother. Why was he so weird? Didn't he want to watch Stormpaw and Sagepaw be apprenticed? He had helped with Sagepaw's assessment, hadn't he? Pearpaw sighed in frustration and dragged his paws to the gathering cats, finding a spot near his father, Coalshadow. Coalshadow gave him a brief nod as Flintstar spoke.
"Today, two apprentices passed their assessment and have proven themselves to be warriors of valor," Flintstar was saying. His yellow eyes focused on Sagepaw and Stormpaw. "I, Flintstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."
Stormpaw let out a sharp breath. Sagepaw's fur was bristling with excitement.
"Stormpaw, Sagepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Flintstar asked the two apprentices.
"I do," Stormpaw said, his voice firm and clear.
"I do," Sagepaw replied, her eyes shining with resolve.
Flintstar gave the two apprentices a brief nod. "Then, by the powers of StarClan, I grant you your warrior names." He leaped down from the Highledge and focused his sharp yellow gaze on Stormpaw. "Stormpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Stormwing. StarClan honors your intelligence and skill in hunting, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." He rested his chin on Stormwing's forehead, and Stormwing reached out to lick Flintstar's battle-scarred shoulder.
Then the ThunderClan leader turned to Sagepaw. "Sagepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Sagepetal. ThunderClan honors your kindness and compassion, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Just as he had done to Stormwing, he allowed his chin to waver on Sagepetal's forehead, and Sagepetal lapped her tongue against Flintstar's shoulder. Then the two newly made warriors turned to face their Clan.
"Stormwing! Sagepetal!" cheered the Clan, their cries resonating so loudly they sent the leaves on the trees overlooking the hollow shaking. Pearpaw joined in, locking gazes with Stormwing. Stormwing lifted his head and met Pearpaw's yellow eyes.
The gray-and-white tom mouthed something, and when Pearpaw leaned closer to examine the way his lips moved, he was pretty sure he could make it out. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Pearpaw whispered. He knew that he had been vital in helping Stormwing pass, and the strength of will that shone in his amber eyes inspired Pearpaw to his core. After the ceremony, Sagepetal and Stormwing both seemed like stronger, bigger cats, much more different from when they were just 'paws. How was that possible?
Strength flooded in Pearpaw's body. He could almost taste the longing for glory on his tongue. Soon he would be a warrior, like Stormwing and Sagepetal. He wouldn't be bossed around, like Vinestep and Foxstorm loved to do. Flamepaw wouldn't doubt him anymore, and Lightningpaw would take him seriously. He'd be giving orders, like Stormwing had in their assessment. And he'd be the best warrior ThunderClan had ever seen.