Rise From Darkness {COMPLETE}

Snakewhisker's Heart -Chapter 1-

"I hope you're ready." Barkpaw mewed, waving his tail. Snakepaw looked at his best friend.

"Of course I'm ready." He declared. "I've been ready since I left the nursery."

"Did they say when we'll get started?" Rustpaw questioned, sitting with Willowpaw. "I feel like we've been waiting here forever."

"Flintstripe told me sunhigh." Barkpaw replied. "They should all be here soon." Snakepaw and his fellow apprentices waited patiently for their mentors to arrive in the training area. The four of them were taking their final assessment, the assessment that would make them warriors. Despite Willowpaw being made an apprentice a moon after the three of them, she would be made a warrior along with them. Willowpaw was a skilled hunter, and Snakepaw had no issues earning his warrior name alongside her.

Snakepaw heard the foliage rustling, all four apprentices turned their gazes towards the sound and watched as Flintstripe, Tigertail, Rowanfall and Jayflight stepped into view. Rowanfall had become Snakepaw's new mentor after Moonfur had moved into the nursery. "Glad to see you're all already here." Flintstripe announced. Snakepaw met his father's gaze, he was so excited to get to hunting. We've worked so hard for this.

"We'll start off with some team hunting." Tigertail began. "Then you'll split up and do so some solo hunting. As always, we will be watching you as you hunt."

"The teams will be Snakepaw and Barkpaw and Rustpaw and Willowpaw. Snakepaw your team will hunt near the AshClan border and Rustpaw and Willowpaw will hunt near the MoonClan border. When it's time to split up we will come to you. Hunt until you are told to stop." Rowanfall explained. "Now go."

Snakepaw was incredibly excited to hunt with Barkpaw, the two of them were inseparable most days. He had a good friendship with Rustpaw too, but he was closer with Barkpaw. They would hunt so well together. "You ready?" Snakepaw questioned his friend.

"Yep, let's head out. You track out some prey." The two of them made a perfect hunting pair. With Snakepaw's tracking skills and Barkpaw's raw talent when it came to hunting, they would be sure to catch plenty of prey. Snakepaw lifted his muzzle into the air and breathed in the scent of the forest.

He caught several different scents, the smell of SunClan, the smell of fallen leaves and the smell of some nearby herbs but he managed to pick out the smell of squirrel. Without speaking, Snakepaw began tracking the prey. Barkpaw followed silently as Snakepaw followed the trail. It didn't take long for him to spot the ginger creature near the roots of a large oak tree.

Snakepaw looked over his shoulder at Barkpaw who was dropping into the hunting crouch. Barkpaw motioned with his tail for Snakepaw to go around the back of the tree. I'll chase it away from the safety of the tree, directly into Barkpaw. Snakepaw skirted around the squirrel, making sure he was completely silent.

He positioned himself behind the oak tree, he couldn't even see Barkpaw across the way but he knew that the dark brown tom with lurking in the brush. Snakepaw shot forward, quick as an adder, the squirrel began running forward, not knowing that it was running towards death. As it neared the brush, Barkpaw leapt out of the foliage and pinned the squirrel down, killing it with a quick bite.

"Great job." Snakepaw purred, trotting up to Barkpaw. "Let's bury it and keep going." Barkpaw agreed and after burying the squirrel they had caught, Snakepaw continued tracking down more prey. The two of them managed to easily catch two more squirrels and two mice. After their second mouse, Rowanfall and Flintsripe stepped into view.

"Good work you two." Rowanfall praised, her eyes sparkling. "Now it's time to split up. Snakepaw, you keep heading towards the AshClan border."

"Barkpaw, I want you to head near the gathering hollow border. We'll come get you when the assessment is over. Good luck, both of you."