Warriors: What Is There To Do?

Chapter 27- An Ironic New Name

It was a stressful day. In fact, it had been a stressful moon. Splitpaw had struggled in silence for the answers to questions she knew just about as much as when she would die.

But, maybe the stress would kill her in the night.

Glowstar was the constant reason of sleep deprivation over the past moon. Questions that she didn't dare to ask anyone floated around in her head like the snowflakes that had begun to fall daily, giving the everyday grey sky a cold, uncaring atmosphere.

Splitpaw had just finished her final assessment when the snow began to fall again. For the first time that moon, she had felt confident. She knew she did well. She worked with each apprentice, Bonepaw, Moonpaw, Bravepaw, and Driftpaw each; she still felt the most comfortable with Moonpaw, and she prayed to Starclan that's who she ended up with for her Partner. There was still an issue though...

Splitpaw had been avoiding Glowstar's demand the whole moon. Tomorrow would be the Gathering.

She had been too scared to confess to anyone, not even Driftpaw. She still found it almost ironic how neither Bonepaw nor Moonpaw knew the internal struggle she was having.

Thinking about it, as she padded with Honeyflame, the deputy, back to camp after her hunting assessment with Bravepaw (which wasn't too painful), Bonepaw wouldn't have such as big of an opinion as Moonpaw. Bonepaw had confessed his love for Driftpaw two sunrises before and although Driftpaw had insisted that they would wait until they were warriors to make anything known, Splitpaw had to wonder what they did between the end of training and when they went to sleep.

"Well, enough about me and Bonepaw... who do you have the feelings for?!"

Driftpaw's question caught Splitpaw so off guard, she was now alternating between who she liked and what clan would claim her heart. It wasn't a tough decision for either of them, but for some reason not giving either proper thought seemed rushed. Like she was choosing one so the other would never come to light.

Thinking back on it, the question seemed so small and insignificant. She could easily see herself living happily ever after with Moonpaw, having kits (or not), and staying in Shadowclan.

But then, that little part of her that wouldn't let the other choice stand to the side, could clearly picture Rapidpaw and her fighting fiercely for Riverclan, and being happy together as much as they wished.

Kits... it still struck her as undesirable. Crystalfall, in fact, had kits right after the last Gathering. They were already huge, tumbling around and acting so crazy that she wondered if that was really how she was supposed to have acted as a kit?

The camp was full of hustle and bustle. The three warriors who didn't have Partners were as excited as the apprentices themselves to see if today was the day they would receive what was so important in Shadowclan.

Splitpaw was just ready to become a warrior.

It was almost unbelievable that it had been just six moons since she had been a little, abused, malnourished, skinny, weak kit with such twisted proportions about the world. Now she was... stronger. She wasn't sure if those opinions were totally fixed yet.

The snow, so regular, that her short-haired self became immune to the cold in which most other cats didn't have to worry about. Splitpaw really hated the winter.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the rock slope for a clan meeting!" Sharpstar's yowl rang around the clearing. The cold air carried her voice farther than Splitpaw would've thought possible, scaring birds off of nearby trees, causing the air to become clouded with small swarms of crowing and squawking.

When the air was finally quiet again, she and the others had gathered in front of Sharpstar who was standing slightly above them on the slope. Looking down on them with her green eyes, she narrowed them onto her. Splitpaw knew that Sharpstar wasn't happy with her indecision on Glowstar's request, but she knew better than to interfere.

"Today is my favorite part about being a leader; today I reward these apprentices, who worked their hardest to become Shadowclan's next generation of strong, powerful warriors.

"Driftpaw," Sharpstar called, and the lithe grey she-cat stepped up excitedly to her paws as the rest of them stepped back.

"You have shown incredible progress since you have become an apprentice; Shadowclan is proud to welcome you with the name of Driftswipe."

Nodding, Driftswipe stepped back into line, grinning and purring as they congratulated her, yowling her name into the cold air.

"Bravepaw. You have been quite the talker, haven't you?" Sharpstar joked with a small smile as the cats who were gathered around chuckled. Bravepaw let out a nervous laugh.

"But, regardless, you are an exceptional hunter, and Shadowclan welcomes you as Braveglare."

After the congratulations was repeated, it was her turn. Her heart beat with anticipation.

"Splitpaw. You have had a very difficult kithood, but you have not let that hinder your ability to be your best. Shadowclan welcomes you with the name of Splitrain."

She ruefully smiled, sharing with Sharpstar, over the ironic name that she was innocently given.

She could settle for Splitrain.

"Moonpaw. You have become one of our strongest fighters. Shadowclan welcomes you as Moongaze."

"Bonepaw. You are one of our best trackers. You are welcomed into Shadowclan as Bonerun."

"Driftswipe! Braveglare! Splitrain! Moongaze! Bonerun!" the cats of Shadowclan called their names out to the setting sun that was just barely visible through the grey clouds of leaf-bare.

"Now, partnership is the biggest part about Shadowclan; it is the key to our success. We hunt together, fight together, work together, and care for each other. That is what makes us who we are. Now, I have discussed this with Honeyflame and all of the mentors involved, and here are your final Partners."

Sharpstar seemed to relish the few slow heartbeats of anticipation at her words to come.

"Bonerun and Moongaze, you will be Partners. Driftswipe and Splitrain, you will be paired together. Lastly, Braveglare and Darkpelt, you are now Partners. May Starclan bless you all."

The final congratulations flew up into the dark sky as they all escaped into the warmth of the dens. Splitrain, followed by an eager Driftswipe, padded over to the fresh-kill pile for a much needed meal after the assessments the day had held.

Driftswipe, huh? Not what she had been expecting, and from the grey warrior's eyes, neither was she. Sharpstar made the pair because we work best together, she reminded herself, but she couldn't help but to be slightly disappointed.

The rest of her waking moments she spent with the other warriors, joking about their names before they had to hold the vigil that night. They were all satisfied with their names, as far as Splitrain could tell, but the way Moongaze looked at her with remorse made her rethink that theory.

"Your name is beautiful," he whispered as he passed, not turning his head as she opened her jaws to answer.

What, Splitrain wondered, would he think if she told him that she had been seeing Rapidpaw in secret?