Lurking Shadows - Specklepaw/ Pigeonfeather POV

Chapter 17

Specklepaw hooked the rabbit up with an unsheathed claw. This will make a great meal for the clan, she thought, proudly puffing her chest out. Suddenly, she heard a yowl of triumph as a dark brown tortoiseshell apprentice pelted across the Thunderpath. 'Maplepaw, no!' she wanted to yowl, but the young medicine cat didn't seem to hear her. Specklepaw bolted towards the Thunderpath, but there was some invisible barrier stopping her from leaping in the way of the monster. The shiny red thing crashed into Maplepaw, sending her flying in a pool of blood and fur.

Specklepaw gently touched her nose to Maplepaw's matted head fur.
"No, no!" She sobbed.

From out of nowhere, a dark ShadowClan tom flew at her. As he was prepared to bite her neck, time seemed to freeze and dark, stormy clouds blocked the rising sun.
"Beware of the shadows and save the storm," it yowled.

Specklepaw barely had time to ponder this before a blurry form of a silver cat shimmered from the clouds. The silver cat was hit by a monster on the same Thunderpath that Specklepaw was next to. She barely had time to ponder this when a paw shook her awake.

"It's our assesments today!" Jaguarpaw meowed, nerves glinting in his amber eyes. Specklepaw purred, hiding how embarrassed she was at being woken up with her fur all over the place.
"I'm sure we will do great!"
Before following Jaguarpaw outside, Specklepaw quickly tidied her nest and cleaned herself. However, she was still deep in thought about her dream as she stepped into the dawn light.

"Hi Foxfern!" Specklepaw said, trying to act joyful, yet knowing the consequences of failing what was to come.
"It's your assessment today. First we will do your hunting assessment. I'm sure you'll do great!" Her mentor said, lightly touching her on the shoulder.
"Come on, I told Magpiewing that you will catch the most prey!"

Specklepaw's brown pelt easily camouflaged with the mud as she quietly slunk towards a mouse nibbling on a nut a couple of tail lengths away, completely oblivious to her presence. She recalled in her mind to what she was told to do six moons ago. Remember, creep up silently and then pounce, Foxfern's calm voice echoed in her head. When she was in leaping range of the mouse, she leaped, killing it with a swift bite to it's neck.
"Thank you, StarClan, for this prey," she whispered, grateful that the prey had been such an easy catch. Next, she carefully treaded in the shadows of the trees to blend in, before tracking her next prey.

Some time later, Specklepaw arrived back at the Rockpools to find Foxfern waiting for her.
"Great catch! Your hunting skills were perfect!" Her mentor meowed over the sound of loud rushing water.
"Now it's time for your battle assessment. You will be battling against Blazepaw." Specklepaw shuffled her paws nervously. Blazepaw had the advantage of weight but Specklepaw was nimble and agile.

At the battle area, Blazepaw was regarding her carefully, his green eyes glimmering with determination. Specklepaw quickly went through battle moves in her head, deciding which ones would work best.
"Today you will be battling against Specklepaw, whilst me and Foxfern assess you," Magpiewing addressed Blazepaw, clearly thinking that the ginger tom would win.
"Don't look so smug Magpiewing, Specklepaw is great in battle," Foxfern warned, making Specklepaw beam with pride.
"Not as good as Blazepaw," Magpiewing snorted.
"We'll see," Foxfern purred.

Nervously, Specklepaw lowered herself into a hunting crouch and circled Blazepaw. She made sure to fluff up her fur until she looked just as big as the ginger apprentice. Timing her moment perfectly, she took off in a massive leap, aiming for Blazepaw's shoulders. However, Blazepaw thrust himself upwards, causing Specklepaw to topple on to the floor. Blazepaw, before she could react, jumped on top of her. Casting her mind back to one of her early battle moves, she let herself go limp. Blazepaw was quickly unbalanced and Specklepaw thrust her hind legs up, freeing herself. Blazepaw had made the mistake of leaving his soft belly exposed so Specklepaw pinned him down, triumphantly meowing,
"I win!"
"Really?" Blazepaw gritted his teeth and broke from Specklepaw's grip.
"That's enough," Foxfern meowed, trotting over.
"Ha! I told you my apprentice would win!" Magpiewing said, seemingly not realising that it was technically Specklepaw who won.
"He didn't exactly win. Besides, he's going to be a warrior soon, along with Specklepaw and probably Jaguarpaw," Foxfern retorted, echoing Specklepaw's thoughts.
"Come on, let's get back to camp," Magpiewing mewed, completely ignoring Foxfern.
"I can't believe we passed!" Specklepaw fought to keep her voice under control - she was so excited she felt like jumping up and down like a kit.
"I know! I wonder what our warrior names will be!" Blazepaw replied, friendly towards Specklepaw for the first time after Mapleleaf's death.
"Yours will be Blazefluff," Foxfern joked, referring to Blazepaw's fluffy pelt.
"Hey!" Blazepaw purred.
"You're a big fluffball, you even have to admit that," Specklepaw replied.

Back at camp, Specklepaw puffed out her chest and strode through the thorn barrier. Suddenly, she was knocked aside by two friendly kits barreling into her.
"Ah!" She exclaimed.
"Get out of our camp, evil ShadowClan warrior!" Lakekit squeaked, his blue eyes shining gleefully.
"Hey! Don't bother Specklepaw!" Sparrowflight rushed over, looking harassed.
"How was your warrior assessment, by the way?" The beige queen asked, sweeping Tabbykit and Lakekit towards the nursery with her tail.
"I passed!" Specklepaw said proudly.
"Great! Ow don't bite my tail Lakekit!" Sparrowflight replied, disappearing into the shadow of the nursery.

Specklepaw, Blazepaw and Jaguarpaw stood in front of their clan leader, some time later. Their eyes glimmered with excitement.
"I, Halfstar, leader of StormClan, ask StarClan to have looked down on these apprentices as they have learnt the ways of your noble code. Foxfern, has Specklepaw trained hard to defend and hunt for her clan?"
"She has," Foxfern replied, puffing her chest out with pride for her apprentice.
"Then, Specklepaw do you promise to hunt and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" Halfstar continued.
"I do," Specklepaw replied, excitement fizzing inside her.
"Specklepaw, you will now be known as Specklefur. StarClan honours your curiousity and intelligence and we welcome you as a full warrior of StormClan." Halfstar rested his muzzle on Specklefur's head, and she respectfully licked his shoulder.

Halfstar done the same for Jaguarpaw, now Jaguarfur, and Blazepaw, now Blazewhisker, and the clan yowled their names. With a purr of amusement, Specklefur was took back to her moons as a kit as she spotted the kits competing to see who could yowl the loudest.
"I'm so proud of you, my little kit!" Poppytail said, licking her head fondly.
"I told you, I'm not a kit anymore!" Specklefur purred, ducking her head in embarrassment.
"Well, the same kit that was a ball of dust and fur at her apprentice ceremony is still in there somewhere," Duskpelt meowed, his chest puffed with pride.
"Congratulations!" Some tiny squeaks came from Specklefur's paws and she looked down to see a whole kit patrol.
"Aaaa! A whole kit patrol! They caught us nasty ShadowClan cats!" Duskpelt joked with Poppytail and the kits. With a muffled 'Oof!' they toppled to the floor with all five kits on top of them. Sunkit and Stagkit will be apprentices soon, Specklefur thought as they broke away from the group, meowing
"We are to old to play kit games."

Specklefur, Jaguarfur and Blazewhisker slitted their eyes against the relentless wind, pressing together for warmth. They watched eachother and the camp carefully, prodding one of them if they looked sleepy. Specklefur soon began to nod off, thinking fondly of the caring kits that would soon take the three new warriors' place in the apprentices den. She gasped as Blazewhisker sharply prodded her in the side and sat up, embarrassed. She licked her chest fur self-consciously. I shouldn't have almost fell asleep like that! Stay awake Specklefur! Stay awake! She repeated the phrase repeatedly in her head, digging her claws into the ground. I won't fall asleep!

Author's note: I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you for 90 views!