The Life And Adventures of Ivyshadow

Chapter 18 - Moon 11

It was a few days later when Acornstar and Blackstripe approached her. Ivypaw had been sharing prey with Windfur, discussing the Gathering and the possibility of a second battle, so it was with regret that Ivypaw looked up from their conversation.

"Ivypaw, it is time for your Warrior assessment," Acornstar began, and any regret Ivypaw had was immediately replaced with jittery excitement, "Your test starts now, and will end at sunhigh."

"Now?" Ivypaw glanced up at the sun. It would be another hour before it reached sunhigh.

"You'll do great," Windfur meowed from beside her, his eyes twinkling.

Ivtpaw wasn't so sure about that. What if she couldn't find anything? Would she not become a Warrior?

As if hearing her thoughts, Blackstripe meowed; "You must catch sufficient prey for us to agree that you pass the test. If you don't, you will retake the test next moon."

Ivypaw nodded, flexing her claws in the dirt nervously. She couldn't imagine the embarrassment of failing the test.

The three cats left the camp together, but split right at the camp entrance. Blackstripe, who would usually wish her words of encouragement, was unusually stoic. She paused for a second, turning back to watch them go before patting through the trees.

Ivypaw realized as she walked that this was the first time she'd ever been in the woods alone. It would have been peaceful, if not for the looming threat of not becoming a warrior hanging over her head.

The woods seemed quieter that usual, every rustle, squeak and chirp echoing in her head. Ivypaw padded carefully, scanning for any signs of prey in the underbrush. There - a fat mouse, nibbling on an acorn.

Ivypaw dropped into a crouch, her training taking over. She was a long way from when she'd first attempted to hunt a mouse that day with Runningmouse. Her paws stepped lightly, easily avoiding any twigs or pinecone. She crouched lower, tensing her muscles, then sprung on the mouse, killing it in one motion. Ivypaw buried the mouse quickly, not wanting to stay in one spot for too long.

She decided to head south, towards a patch of oak trees that was known to have squirrels. Squirrels were harder to catch, but were more impressive. Luck was on Ivypaw's side, and she quickly caught two squirrels followed by a sparrow.

She went back to her prey-spot, brimming with satisfaction. She glanced up at the sun. It was almost sunhigh. I can catch one more, Ivypaw decided.

By the time she padded back to the prey pile, another fat mouse in her jaws, the sun was high in the sky. Ivypaw guessed she had a couple minutes left, not enough time to catch anything else.

She set down the mouse and began to move the leaves where she'd hidden her prey, but stopped frowning. There was nothing there. "Am I in the wrong place?" She wondered aloud, turning around. But no - she'd marked the tree with a claw mark. Ivypaw began to panic, twisting her head left and right to look. Her prey was gone. Ivypaw's mind raced, fear and panic taking over. She was going to fail her Warrior's assessment.

"No, Ivypaw calm down," Ivypaw meowed to herself. She took a deep breath then picked up the mouse. She was supposed to meet Acornstar and Blackstripe back at camp, maybe she could catch something on the way.

Her hope began to dwindle away as she walked. The forest that had been teeming with life a second earlier now seemed empty and desolate.

Ivypaw's mind scrambled for a solution desperately, and then her thoughts landed on Runningmouse. That day they'd went to go practice battle training, and the sparrow mother. She'd been guarding eggs, but they must be pretty old by now, and ir was on the way...