The sun was shining down into the Driftclan apprentices' den. A tawny and grey spotted tabby tom named Mistpaw was already awake and was ready to train more today. "Or maybe Dampbreeze will let us take a break today!" he said to himself.
"Who are you talking to, Mistpaw?" he looked to his left to see Hollowpaw giving an enormous yawn and stretching her body out.
"No one, just myself!" he mewed back to her. "I didn't think you'd be up so early! You usually sleep until your mentor comes and gets you!" Mistpaw giggled.
Hollowpaw smiled at her brother. "Yeah, well, I am now! Look who's still sleeping though!"
Both apprentices looked over to see their sister, Ripplepaw, still rolled onto her side. She was still sleeping peacefully.
She must have done a lot of training yesterday! Mistpaw thought, got up and stretched.
They heard pawsteps entering the apprentices' den. Both Mistpaw and Hollowpaw looked up to see the face of Dampbreeze. He looked exhausted.
"Hi, Dampbreeze!" Mistpaw gave his wide smile towards his mentor.
Dampbreeze yawned. "Hey, Mistpaw. We'll be going over everything you've learned today. Your warrior assessment is tomorrow." he meowed.
My warrior assessment is what?! The apprentice thought, now gaining a worried look on his face.
Dampbreeze noticed the worried look on Mistpaw's face. "There's no reason to be frightened, Mistpaw." the tom started. "I'm sure you'll do great! I remember when I had to take my warrior assessment... I thought I would never pass, but it was easier than expected!" Dampbreeze meowed to his apprentice, then purred.
Mistpaw looked at Dampbreeze. "Really?" his orangish-red eyes shone.
"Of course!" the golden tabby tom smiled.
"Dampbreeze! Did you get Hollowpaw and Mistpaw yet? I'm ready to go!" there was a yell from outside the apprentices' den.
"That sounds like Gullstalk!" Hollowpaw mewed excitedly.
"Oh yeah, we will start by having you two practice fighting each other." Dampbreeze yawned.
Both Mistpaw and Hollowpaw looked at each other and then looked back at the tom in front of them. "Yes!" they meowed in unison.
Dampbreeze turned around and headed out of the den, "Let's get going then." he meowed and flicked his tail, signaling for the two apprentices to follow him, which they did. Ripplepaw was still sleeping in her nest.
Mistpaw, Dampbreeze, and Hollowpaw padded over to Gullstalk, who was waiting at the entrance to the camp.
"There you all are!" Gullstalk exclaimed.
"Hi, Gullstalk!" Hollowpaw mewed.
I haven't seen Gullstalk since Hollowpaw became an apprentice! Mistpaw thought.
"Heya." he meowed back to his apprentice.
"Are we ready to go to the Ocean Side then?" Gullstalk said.
Every cat in the group nodded.
"Great!" Gullstalk made his way out of Driftclan territory with his clanmates and headed to the Ocean Side.
*
"You got this, Mistpaw!" Dampbreeze yelled to his apprentice as he was batting at Hollowpaw.
Mistpaw and Hollowpaw had both been tackling and hitting each other with their paws for what seemed like a very long time. The two apprentices were about a few fox-lengths away from each other. Hollowpaw was panting, but Mistpaw was perfectly fine.
"Now let's see who will get pinned first!" Dampbreeze yowled to both of them.
"You sure Dampbreeze? Hollowpaw seems tired..." Gullstalk meowed worriedly.
"Ah, she's fine!" Mistpaw's mentor replied, "Go!"
Mistpaw began sprinting towards her sister, who sprinted towards him. As Mistpaw was coming close, he could hear Dampbreeze shout. "I believe in you, Mistpaw!"
He believes in me! He thought and sprinted faster towards Hollowpaw.
Once they were close enough, Mistpaw instantly tackled Hollowpaw and pinned her onto the sand. Mistpaw was now panting.
"M-Mistpaw, you're super good at this..." Hollowpaw's mew trailed off as she closed her eyes.
"Hollowpaw?!" Mistpaw gave a worried meow.
Gullstalk and Dampbreeze ran over to the apprentices as Mistpaw got off of her.
"Is she alright?" Mistpaw asked.
Gullstalk put a paw on Hollowpaw's chest. It was still gently rising and falling.
"She's exhausted..." he sighed. "I'll take her back to the camp."
"Do you need help to take her back?" Mistpaw meowed to Gullstalk.
Gullstalk smiled as he helped Hollowpaw up. "No, but thank you Mistpaw."
"We have to get you ready for your warrior assessment, still. I'm sure Hollowpaw will be alright." Dampbreeze added in.
"Okay!" the apprentice replied, but he still had a slightly worried look on his face.
Mistpaw watched as his sister slowly got up and headed back to Driftclan with Gullstalk at her own pace.
I hope she will be alright... He thought.
*
Mistpaw was now swimming around in circles, reaching his front paws out and pulling them back towards him, his back legs moving as quickly as they could.
"Almost there, Mistpaw, come on!" Dampbreeze shouted.
I can do this! I'll make every cat proud of me! He pushed on and swam around in one last circle before heading onto the shore.
"Marvellous job, Mistpaw!" His mentor purred.
Mistpaw shook his fur off and gave a wide smile. "Thank you Dampbreeze!"
"You're ready for your warrior assessment tomorrow!"
"What about hunting?" the apprentice mewed.
"We'll hunt a little while we're heading back, alright?" Dampbreeze replied.
Mistpaw hopped around like a little kit. "Yay! Okay!"
The two then headed back to Driftclan territory.
*
A little while later, Mistpaw was back in Driftclan camp in the medicine den. He was standing over a now sleeping Hollowpaw.
"Don't worry Mistpaw, she just needed some rest, that's all." it was the meow of the Driftclan medicine cat, Thistlewhisper.
"Okay!" he mewed back to her.
"It's good that you came to check on her though."
Mistpaw nodded. "Mhm!"
Thistlewhisper smiled. "Well, go get some rest yourself. You'll need all your strength for tomorrow! Your warrior assessment is then, right?" she asked.
"Yeah! I'm more ready than ever!"
"I sure hope so." Thistlewhisper meowed.
Mistpaw then left the medicine den and headed to the apprentices' den. Once he padded inside, he noticed Ripplepaw disappeared. She probably went to go train with her mentor! Mistpaw thought as he padded over to his nest and laid himself down in it.
Tomorrow, I will make my clan proud! He thought as he slowly closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep.
YOU ARE READING
Warriors: Retribution (Book 2)
Fantasy(Book #2 of the Uprising series.) (If you haven't read Warriors: Uprising first, I highly suggest you do that!) - It's been two moons since Shredflash had killed three cats and ran away from his clan. Cats in Starclan are bewildered that the prophec...
