The Dawn of Night | A Warriors Fanfiction ✔

Chapter 19

Moonpaw marched up to Swiftclaw, her fur bristling.

"Is this it? Is this what you wanted?" she snapped at her mentor. She didn't even care if she was being disrespectful. Swiftclaw didn't deserve her respect anymore.

Swiftclaw looked startled. "Excuse me?" she growled. "What makes you think you can treat your mentor like this?"

"You didn't let me even try to pass the assessment!" Moonpaw exploded. "It was bad enough seeing Bluestripe made a warrior before me and my littermates, but to see the rest of them becoming a warrior before me is just... I just can't believe you would do this to me! Don't you think I would have liked to become a warrior with my littermates instead of being left in the dust?" It had been about a moon since the rest of her littermates had become warriors, and she finally had the courage to confront her mentor about it. It was about time she was made a warrior, and Bluestripe had been a warrior for so long that she was already expecting kits!

Swiftclaw gazed at her calmly, as if she was bored with the apprentice. "I have my reasons," she finally meowed.

That was it. Moonpaw couldn't deal with her stubborn mentor anymore. She knew she had completed her training, had enough time of being an apprentice to become a warrior. And yet Swiftclaw simply just wouldn't let her pursue her dreams.

"Tell me," she demanded. "Tell me why I can't be a warrior!"

She stared at Swiftclaw, expecting her to be annoyed or frustrated with her. But she looked... troubled, and almost sad.

"I'm sorry, Moonpaw..." Swiftclaw whispered. "I-I was afraid for you. I knew you wanted to be made a warrior with your littermates, and I wanted that for you as much as you wanted it. I really did. But with your lungs..." she trailed off.

"What about my lungs?"

"I-I thought you wouldn't be able to complete the assessment with your lungs. I thought you would tire too quickly. I'm so sorry, Moonpaw. I care about you, much more than you think. I was afraid you wouldn't be able to be a warrior. But you're right. You deserve being a warrior much more than most." And with that she got up and stalked away towards Maplestar's den.

Moonpaw was speechless. She had had no idea that her mentor actually cared for her. She had thought that was only like an annoying tick or bur in Swiftclaw's pelt. But she was pleasantly surprised at being wrong.

"Moonpaw!" Swiftclaw called for her as she emerged from their leader's den. Moonpaw hurried over.

"Yes?"

Maplestar appeared from behind her mentor.

"It's about time this brave apprentice is made a warrior," Maplestar murmured. Moonpaw's pelt tingled with excitement. She was going be assessed! But her excitement turned to curiosity when Maplestar padded up the Highrock to address her Clan. Swiftclaw cast Moonpaw a quick pleased and apologetic glance before taking her place beneath Highrock.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!" their leader yowled. And then it struck her. I'm going to be a warrior right now! she thought happily. Without an assessment!

It was early morning; no patrol had left yet, but Stormshadow had been in the middle of organizing the dawn patrol when Maplestar had yowled the address to her Clan. Moonpaw stood proudly next to Maplestar on the Highrock, her blue eyes gleaming with pleasure as she saw Bluestripe emerging from nursery, Redflame hard on her paws, and Vinestripe and Robinfeather padding out of the warriors' den to sit beside Sunstorm and Fogcloud, who had been sharing a vole at the fresh-kill pile, probably cold from the night before. Moonpaw saw Bluestripe look around sleepily, and how her eyes lit up in excitement when they met Moonpaw's.