Dark Prophecies: Wolftuft's Shadow

Chapter Six

Hazelpaw lets out a yawn as she slowly stands up from her nest. She stretches her legs and leaves the den. Once out in the open, Crowtalon pelts up to her, his eyes shone with pride. "Hazelpaw, today is the day you will have your warriors assessment." He explains. Hazelpaw feels excitement flow over her. 

"Already?" She purrs. Crowtalon nods and heads out of camp. Hazelpaw pelts after him. 

"All you have to do is hunt at least three pieces of prey, and come back," Crowtalon says and disappears into the bushes. Hazelpaw takes a deep breath and lets her senses go free. She senses a mouse and follows the trail. She spots it and smirks.

 'This assessment will be easy!' She thinks and pounces. She catches it between her paws and nips its neck. She buries it and continues the hunt.
        After a while, she goes back to her original pile, only to find it dug up and ruined. Hazelpaw looks around and sniffs the air. She angrily sets down a bird she caught before and shakes her head. A head pops out from a bush. Hazelpaw's head jolts over to the bush and snarls. A slender, sleek pelted she-cat emerges from the bushes. A mouse dangling from her jaws.

 "Howdy there." She purrs.

 "How dare you greet me after ruining my kill!" Hazelpaw hisses. The she-cat glances at the ruined pile, then back at Hazelpaw. 

"This was yours? I'm mighty sorry about that." The she-cat shuffles her paws. "My name's Sam, what's yours?" Sam tilts her head. Hazelpaw scoffs.

 "Hazelpaw, now please leave. I'm doing my assignment, and can't be disturbed." She picks up her bird. 

"Ah, well my apologies. I'll head back to my farm. I'll see you around, Hazelpaw!" Sam purrs and treads away. Crowtalon appears behind Hazelpaw. 

"That was handled very well, no claws were shown, and no blood was shed." He praises. Hazelpaw jumps a little, and purrs. "I think you're ready." Crowtalon starts to head back to camp.

 "What about the prey?" Hazelpaw asks. 

"Sam was told to come here, she lives nearby here. She returned the prey to the Fresh kill pile, don't worry." Crowtalon heads into camp. Hazelpaw follows excitement flows over her. Crowtalon walks into Redstar's den, Hazelpaw paces outside. Snowpaw pelts towards her. 

"Did you pass?" She asks excitedly. Hazelpaw nods. 

"Yes!" Snowpaw purrs. "That's wonderful!" Hazelpaw licks her chest fur and takes deep breaths. 

"Let all cats old enough to fish and swim gather around the clearing for a clan meeting!" Redstar calls out. Hazelpaw and Snowpaw walk side-by-side to the clearing. As cats gather, Crowtalon calls out for Hazelpaw. Redstar gazes at Hazelpaw, pride shown in his eyes. 

"Hazelpaw, you have been training for six moons, and are ready to earn your warrior name," he starts. "do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your clan, even if it costs you your life?" He asks. Hazelpaw nods. 

"I do." Redstar purrs. 

"Then by the power of GalaxyClan, from now on you will be known as Hazelpetal. GalaxyClan honors your bravery and kindness." Redstar rests his nose on her forehead. Hazelpaw licks his shoulder and gazes up at the clan. They were cheering her name, Snowpaw was cheering the loudest. 

      That night, Hazelpetal sat Virgil. She yawned, feeling her eyes grow heavy. She kept herself awake for a bit. The camp was silent, besides a few snores. Suddenly, a rattle of ferns made Hazelpetal's head jolt up. "Who's there?" She mews quietly, but intimidatingly. Bright green eyes shone in the shadows of the camp entrance. A pure black Tom emerges from the ferns, dipping his head to her. "You're doing great, Hazelpetal." He murmurs and walks into the warriors' den. 'It was only Twilightpelt! Thank GalaxyClan!' Hazelpetal thinks.
          When dawn came, Crowtalon padded over to Hazelpetal.

"You may sleep for a bit, then eat some. I want you to join the dusk patrol today, so rest up." He commands and walks away. Hazelpetal dips her head and walks into the Warriors Den. She looked around for an open nest. Once she found one, she laid down and let sleep take over.
          Howls and screeches of terror blasted in Hazelpetal's ears.

 "A wolf's claws will shred its kin and take what is precious to all." The voice rang over and over again. Blood stained the grass she was standing on. Snow fell onto the blood and turned to smoke. Hazelpetal backed away and fell into a gorge behind her. She yowled in terror. Everything went black. Hazelpetal shot up from her nest and saw that it was almost dusk. She shook her pelt and left the den.

 "Bad dream..." Hazelpetal mumbles. She groomed her prickled fur down and grabbed a shrew from the Fresh Kill Pile. She ate it in neat bites and glanced up. Crowtalon pads up to her. 

"Change of plans. On our dawn patrol, we smelt DustClan, I want you to take a small patrol to investigate. Don't attack them, send someone to get help." He explains. Hazelpetal nodded and looked around. 

"Snowpaw! Darkfur!" She calls out. The two cats approach her.

 "Yes?" Darkfur tilts her head to the side. 

"Come with me to patrol the border." 

"Oh right! For the DustClan scent right?" Snowpaw asks. Hazelpetal nods. They leave the camp and search for the scent.
Hazelpetal paused and sniffed the air.

 "Here." She whispers and looks around.

 "It's fresh too.." Darkfur snarls. Snowpaw looks around.

 "Darkfur, go and report to Redstar, this is only one cat I smell." Hazelpetal commands. Darkfur nods curtly and pads away. "I'd recognize that scent from anywhere! Wolfpaw!" Hazelpetal purrs. Just as expected, a multi grey figure emerged from the shadows.

 "Greetings, sister," Wolfpaw says slyly. "it's Wolftuft now." Hazelpetal purrs.

 "You got your warriors name too! I'm Hazelpetal now!" She purrs. Wolftuft doesn't look amused. 

"Petal huh? Interesting." She murmurs. Snowpaw nudges Hazelpetal. 

"I don't think we should be talking to her..." she mumbles. Hazelpetal tilts her head. 

"What do you mean?" She asks. Wolftuft unsheathes her claws. 

"That's why!" Snowpaw screeches as Wolftuft leaps towards Hazelpetal. Snowpaw leaps at Wolftuft and tumbles onto her. 

"Snowpaw!" Hazelpetal yowls. Wolftuft hisses and slashes Snowpaw's side with her long claws. 

"How cute," Wolftuft snarls. "and pathetic." Wolftuft chuckles and kicks Snowpaw off of her. "If you want to fight you'll get one even GalaxyClan will remember!" Wolftuft spits, and tackles Snowpaw. Hazelpetal runs towards them. 

"Wolftuft stop!" She cries out. Cold paws hold her back, when she turns to look she sees a tortoiseshell Tom Cat holding her back. He was tinted with red and was slightly faded. Snowpaw desperately tries to run, but Wolftuft holds her in place. She raises her claws and slashes the side of Snowpaw's face. Snowpaw weakly claws at Wolftuft's side, but she's much smaller, and she hasn't had any battle training. She was weak. Wolftuft slashes at Snowpaw's soft belly. Blood stained her once white pelt. 

"There's nothing you can do to save her." The tortoiseshell Tom whispers in Hazelpetal's ear. Suddenly, it was quiet. Snowpaw was silently heaving, and Wolftuft was staring down at her work. The paws that had held Hazelpetal vanished. Hazelpetal rushed towards Snowpaw. Wolftuft smirks. 

"Look at your poor Snowpaw now. She sacrificed herself for you, and now she's dead." Wolftuft taunts. Hazelpetal snarls and tackles Wolftuft. 

"You are not the sister I know! You're a monster!" Hazelpetal screeches and slashes Wolftuft's ear. Wolftuft pushes her off and shakes her head. 

"They never learn do they." She chuckles and claws at Hazelpetal's cheek. "See you around, sister of mine." Wolftuft chuckles and leaps into the shadows of DustClan territory. Hazelpetal was too grief-stricken to stop her. She collapsed beside Snowpaw and whimpers. 

"Oh, Snowpaw..." she sighs. She was colder than ice by now. Hazelpetal nuzzles Snowpaw and lets out a wail of despair. "How could she do this to you..." she murmurs.