Chapter 8: Warrior Assessment

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Winterpaw woke up in the medicine den, her back ached and cobwebs covered her right front paw.

"Wh-what happened?" Winterpaw moaned, sitting up.

"You fainted during the battle. Your wounds are healing greatly though. And yes, Rainclan did win the battle with no cat dead." Rainheart meowed. Darkpaw was in the den looking irritated.

"I think your wounds can take on your warrior assessment!" Rainheart  said. Winterpaw stood up excitedly.

"You hear that Darkpaw? Our assessment is today!" Winterpaw exclaimed. Darkpaw gave a growl.

"So what? They should have made me a warrior long ago!" He hissed.

Featherpaw came and sat down next to Winterpaw, giving her a lick on the head.

"Rainheart says I get to become a full medicine cat today too! Since we travel to the Shimmer Pool." Featherpaw said, her eyes gleaming.

"I should have been made a warrior a long time ago. Couldn't Rabbitstar see I was doing great?" Darkpaw muttered and walked away from his sisters.

"What's up with him?" Featherpaw hissed to Winterpaw.

"No idea. It seems Icefang, Blackpool, and Darkpaw are in a bad mood." Winterpaw meowed.

"Well, my assessment is about to start. See you later!" Winterpaw said, getting up and following Poppyroot out of the camp.

"Good luck!" She heard Featherpaw call.

"Okay. You will go across the forest and hunt not to close but on the forest near the Sunclan border. I don't want you near the Darkclan  border, they seem really annoyed right now." Poppyroot meowed.

Winterpaw nodded and headed off in the direction of the Sunclan border, hoping that Firepaw wouldn't be there to distract her. 

She quickly knew a mouse was near and Winterpaw crouched into a mouse hunting crouch. Stalking forward, she knew the mouse was in front of her over the bush. She knew that Poppyroot would probably be watching her now, so she made a good leap over the bush and landed squarely on the mouse.

It squeaked and tried to run but Winterpaw already was reaching down to give it a killing bite. After the kill, Winterpaw buried it to retrieve later. It only took her a few seconds to catch the scent of a vole.

She quickly crouched down and slided forward silently. The vole didn't see her, but she saw it. It was chewing on a leaf! Stupid vole, leafs are mean't to be eated if your sick! Winterpaw thought as she sprang from her paws and killed the vole quickly.

She had just picked up the scent of a squirrel when there was a loud screech and thump- coming from the direction of the thunderpath!

Abandoning the prey, Winterpaw rushed through the forest, dodging trees and leaping over low branches and bushes. Then her heart sank. It had come from the thunderpath on Sunclan's territory! She felt a feeling of horror.

Ignoring that she might get in trouble, she leaped over the border and ran along the thunderpath. The thing she saw next sent a shiver down her spine. An orange lump on the thunderpath ahead! She didn't care if a monster was coming or not, she ran onto the thunderpath and started running as fast as her legs would carry her. 

 But the fear had come true. Firepaw was laying on the thunderpaw, breathing but fainted. If she moved him, he might become overwhelmed. All she could do is stay with him until he either woke up or went to Starclan. As Winterpaw sat down next to him and started grooming him, she felt tears form in her eyes. She didn't know why she was sad, she hardly knew this cat.

Suddenly, a monster came running towards them on the thunderpath, but Winterpaw wasn't going to leave Firepaw. She actually got up from where she was sitting and stood on the other side of Firepaw where the monster was coming. She arched her back and puffed out her fur to make her look twice her size. 

The monster came closer and closer. Winterpaw was now hissing and spitting, not even flinching as it's eyes stared straight at her. She stood there so long that she could see the twoleg inside of the monster's belly. When the twoleg saw her and Firepaw. He looked like he was yelling and then moved his arms in front of him. The monster quickly swerved around the two apprentices and sped away, twoleg still shouting.

Winterpaw couldn't believe the monster had done that and she silently thanked it for it's kindness. Then she went back to Firepaw and started grooming him. Then there was a loud yowl and a patrol of Sunclan cats ran out of the forest onto the thunderpath. Winterpaw stood up and looked straight at them. The patrol wasn't angry, but more shocked.

"H-how did you stay on the thunderpath?" A blue tom stammered.

Winterpaw couldn't give the real answer or her clan would throw her out.

"Protect a clanmate even at the cost of your life." Winterpaw simply said.

"But you are Rainclan, not Sunclan!" A pale she protested.

"What's much difference? RainCLAN and SunCLAN they all end in the word clan, don't they? If we are all part of a clan doesn't that make everyone clanmates? Just not clanmates in the same clan." Winterpaw explained, hoping she didn't sound too strange.

"I guess that makes sense." A gray tabby she grunted.

The patrol came closer to Firepaw and was about to pick him up when Winterpaw yowled.

"Wait! You could kill him if you do that!" She yowled.

"How?" The pale she asked.

"He just had a big shock and fainted, also survived. You will have to treat him on the thunderpath until he wakes up. He won't wake up in this condition so he needs to be treated right here and right now." Winterpaw meowed.

The Sunclan cats didn't look to pleased but nodded and slowly went to get their medicine cat. It wouldn't be long before another monster came along, and the next monster might not be as kind as the one before. Firepaw needed treatment, and he needed it fast.

Only moments later, the Sunclan medicine cat, Fernsparrow, arrived. She was old white cat but very good at healing. She glared at Winterpaw but started treating Firepaw. Putting cobwebs on the little wounds and giving him weird herbs.

"I think he is ready to be moved. He looks like he is awake but just resting now. His body has to get used to feeling things again, so he won't feel it when we take him to camp." Fernsparrow rasped, then looked at Winterpaw as she started to follow. "I think we can take it from here." she hissed a bit forcefully.

Winterpaw dipped her head in understanding and headed back to Rainclan territory. She was worried about Firepaw and hoped he would be okay.

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Is Firepaw okay? I enjoyed writing this chapter for some reason. Probably because of the action! =3 Comment and please vote! =3

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