Warriors #5: Heart of Fire

Chapter 20

Swiftpaw's POV

The last thing that had crossed my mind as I went to sleep was also the first thing to cross my mind as I woke up.

My warrior assessment is today, I recalled just as my eyes flew open. Great StarClan almighty...

I'd finally made it. If I was to do well on this assessment, I could be a warrior tomorrow. And just as I had hoped - it was fairly early. Getting to be on a battle patrol a quarter moon into my apprenticeship had only been the beginning of the Dark Forest's benefits. Now, I was possibly going to be a warrior a couple of quarter moons early.

And unfortunately for Ashfur, so was Snowpaw.

As far as I knew, my fellow apprentice wasn't receiving any sort of special training like I was, yet she had been showing great promise as a warrior. So much so that Foxleap and Icecloud melded our assessments together... I thought bitterly.

I then shook my head quickly as I stood up in my nest, knowing that focusing on jealousy or resentment would only pull me away from my fullest potential in this assessment.

I'm here to help you focus on what's really important. Ashfur's words, as they typically did, were echoing in my head as I quietly padded over to Snowpaw's sleeping figure. Being the best warrior that you can be.

I have stayed focused, haven't I? I reflected as I then sat on my haunches. And now I'm almost there...

I then sighed, lifting a paw in order to prod Snowpaw awake. But I immediately paused and nearly let out a gasp as I saw that she was wriggling quite violently in her sleep. Her eyes were screwed shut, and her claws were unsheathed, slashing out at nothing.

I found myself taking a step back as my eyes widened. Well, I certainly don't want to be scratched in the face first thing in the morning, I thought, sitting down in my new spot as I simply watched my friend twist and turn in her nest.

I flicked my ears as she then let out a quiet hiss. She's clearly having a bad dream, I realized. I wonder what she's dreaming about? Out of a mix of curiosity and a twinge of worry for Snowpaw, I decided to take the risk of trying to wake her up again.

But just as I stood up and hovered over her, my heart nearly skipped a beat as I watched Snowpaw practically jolt awake. Her blue eyes shot open into two wide moons. She was practically panting as she rolled over in her nest.

And just as our gazes met, I was baffled as suddenly an earsplitting yowl rang through my ears. Snowpaw then quickly stood up, rounding up on me. She stared back at me, her eyes blazing, teeth barred, fur bristled, and claws unsheathed.

But my friend's demeanor was the least of my problems at the moment - why she had just screamed like she was plummeting from the sky into a heap of fire-badgers was my biggest concern.

I flashed my friend a concerned look, then whipped my head back and forth, even checking the den entrance to make sure that Snowpaw hadn't woken any cat up before they planned to. "Snowpaw, what in the name of StarClan is wrong with you?" I hissed at her. "You probably just woke up every creature from here to the mountains!"

Snowpaw seemed to almost instantly snap out of whatever aggressive episode she had been in, as she blinked a couple of times, looking completely baffled as she let her fur lie flat.

That doesn't go to say that she suddenly looked relaxed. Her eyes still very clearly glinted with fear as she looked back at me.

"My goodness, I'm sorry," she breathed, shaking her head slowly. "Bad dream."