Warriors Adventures of TreeClan Book # 1 of Fire vs Fire

Chapter Three

Two Moons Later...

Glowpaw crouched on the frosty ground, the skinny vole in front of her scrabbling on the cold turf. Then after she made sure that it couldn't hear her, she pounced, pinning it into the soft leaves, killing it swiftly with one bite. She knew that Flameair was watching her at that very second, waiting for her to fail or succeed. She breathed heavily, looking around as she heard a crack in the bushes.

'Who's there?'

She nervously meowed, her voice sounding as small as a mouse's.

Another crack.

Wait. What if it's Flameair? What if he's trying to test me on how brave I am?

Glowpaw took a deep breath, arching her back and drawing her lips back in a snarl. Suddenly she caught a glimpse of fire orange fur racing through the underbrush, and she knew she had been tricked. It was Flameair after all, testing her on her viciousness, curiosity, braveness and shyness.

She had heard about what happened now. Glowpaw would have to hunt a little bit more, bring back some more fresh kill for the Clan, and only then would she be able to go back to camp and learn about if she got to be a warrior.

Willowstar was waiting for Glowpaw outside the apprentice's den.

'Glowpaw! I've been expecting you! I hear from Flameair that you did very well on you assessment today! I'm so proud. I'm so happy that you've got a taste for TreeClan life over all these moons.'

Willowstar caressed.

'Well... I guess. And I'm loving TreeClan! I mean like I would've loved my life in StoneClan as well, but I like TreeClan and how it's so well hidden. And I'm really proud of how well I went on my exam today, I caught three thrushes, five rabbits, and seven magpies. But they were all scrawny and didn't have much meat on them...'

Glowpaw's delighted face fell, her voice trailing off.

'What's wrong?'

Mewed Willowstar gently.

Glowpaw didn't know how to answer her leader, if she told the truth, how she wasn't at all proud of how she did today, and how hearing the name StoneClan was still hard and painful to her leader, then Willowstar would think she was wimpy and couldn't take the responsibility of being a warrior. But if she told a lie, and smiled broadly and sounded all confident and proud. She would be lying to her leader, and that wouldn't be responsible at all either, even if she got to be a warrior. There was nothing honourable about lying. So she decided to do a bit of both.

'I'm proud, but... I don't think that it's the best I've ever done.'

She mewed carefully, giving Willowstar a weak smile.

Willowstar looked thoughtful,

'I know what you mean... I felt that way at first for my assessment, I wasn't that proud. But then when I became a warrior I realised that the others did think that I did. It's not always what you think you feel about yourself, it's about how your friends and family are proud of you.'

Willowstar's kind words eased Glowpaw's worries a little.

She nodded, smiling again.

Flameair appeared from behind her, he nodded to Willowstar and grinned at me.

'You didn't do very well Glowpaw, I'm sorry.'

He said, his face falling and full of sympathy.

Glowpaw felt as if she had been stabbed with Twoleg knives and then bitten over and over by a dog, her gut ached and her eyes glistened with pain.

'YOU DID AMAZING! ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!'

He suddenly caterwauled.

'Glowpaw, how would you like to become a warrior today?'

Willowstar asked her.

Glowpaw jumped up, squealing like a little kit.

I'm going to become a warrior today! Me! Glowpaw! The kit from StoneClan! Becoming a warrior!

~...~...~...~...~...~...~

Later, she saw her friend Treepaw, who was looking very excited. He saw her and bounded over, grinning widely.

'Glowpaw! Guess what?! I became a warrior today!'

He squealed like a kit, and Glowpaw purred with amuesment.

'Me too, actually.'

She purred.

'Willowstar said that I did really well today, and asked me if I wanted to become a warrior at sunhigh. I said yes.'

Treepaw was nodding vigorously, his amber fur looked as if it was tingling with excitment.

'I wonder what our warrior names will be... maybe like, Glowpelt and Treeheart? Oh, oh! What about Treefur and Glowheart?! That would be cool. But I gotta calm down. I've been calm all my life, this will not be the day that I crack.'

He took a couple of deep breaths and he finally looked normal again. Calm and his expression didn't give away anything that he was feeling. Unless he was worried, then he looked extremely scared. That's what Glowpaw liked about him, how he only showed his feeling to his best friends or when they were really severe.

'Come on Treepaw, the naming ceremony's happening, look! Willowstar's coming out of her den! Oh, I'm so excited!'

Glowpaw purred with happiness. She wanted to leap onto the Junglebranch and receive her warrior name with pride. But she couldn't, that would disrupt the ceremony.

'LET ALL CATS OLD ENOUGH TO CLIMB THE GREAT OAK GATHER BENEATH THE JUNGLEBRANCH FOR A CLAN MEETING!'

Willowstar summoned the Clan with her call.

She smiled warmly at all of them. Glowpaw had always admired her because of that. Her kindness, warmness, and understanding of others.

'I summoned you today to name two apprentices, that have worked hard to earn their warrior names. Glowpaw, Treepaw, please step forward. I call upon our great warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices who have worked hard to learn your noble code! Please approve of my choice! Please bless them and guide them along their path. Glowpaw, from now on you will be known as Glowstorm, and Treepaw, from now on you will be named Treelight.'

'Glowstorm! Treelight!'

'Glowstorm Treelight!'

The members of the Clan started gathering all around them, chanting their new names.

'Glowstorm. I like it.'

Glowstorm murmured to herself that night in the warrior den.