Chapter 9

                                    

                                          
Nightpaw waited with Heatherheart at the entrance of the Clan. Sunlight was slowly fading. Nightpaw knew she would be young for a warrior and so would her siblings. Looking closer, Nightpaw saw faint silhouettes of cats coming closer. It was Duskpaw, Dawnpaw, Clearsong, Iceheart, and Thornnight came forward. "Why is Clearsong here?" Nightpaw asked. "She is going to tell Iceheart what is happening." Thornnight mewed. The sun had set and only red, orange, and purple streaks were left in the sky. The mentors and deputy, spread out over the forest making sure to hide their scents. Duskpaw and Dawnpaw streaked off in other directions while Nightpaw went in the direction of the Great Oak. She was running at her top speed, this assessment could decide if she could be a warrior. Nightpaw decided to use a technique that her mentor hadn't taught her. Instead of hiding her sent well she ran at top speed going beside them and then biting them. She actually picked up a few plump rabbits. Then she went back to the normal way of hunting. When Nightpaw was about to get a vole a fox leapt in front of her. It was a small fox and it looked like it was about to starve to death. The fox snarled and bit her leg, a small streak of crimson blood streaked down her leg. She bit its throat and shook it violently. The fox, at a last attempt to save its own life, twisted around and clawed Nightpaw's nose. Nightpaw quickly took the life of it and buried the rest of her prey. She wanted to catch at least a squirrel and a sparrow by the end of the assessment. Ignoring the pain she managed to catch an unaware and old sparrow but missed the chance to get a squirrel. The assessment felt quick and Heatherheart jumped down from a oak branch she was hiding in."You look finished. That fox will make Foreststar happy." Heatherheart mewed. Nightpaw nodded and went to go unbury the prey. Heatherheart helped carry the fox back to the clan and waited for the others to return. The apprentices and their mentors returned and had a fair amount of prey but Nightpaw was mainly looked at by the others because of the fox in Heaherheart's mouth. Badgerkit bounced over to her mewling excitedly. "You caught a fox? Wow! Wow! I wanna be a warrior!" He turned to his mother and mewed excitedly. "Mama! Mama! I wanna be a warrior." His mother shook her head and bent down to give him an affectionate lick behind the ears.