A Light in the Dark

Chapter One : Assessment

Blossomtail sat uneasily outside her den, watching the two apprentices get ready for their assessment. Her fur priked uneasily, knowing what was about to happen.

Goldenstar pads out of his den opposite of her. She nods to him, and she follows to greet the apprentices. They were shaking, from what, the medicine cat did not know, but she could guess.

"Are you ready for your assessment?" her leader asked.

The two nodded.

"Alright, Sunpaw, you are first," he meowed as the yellow she-cat perked her ears. "I want you to go into the forest and catch 3 pieces of prey before the sun is at full height. Afterwards, we'll check your battle skills. Time starts now. Go."

Sunpaw looked startled as Goldenstar told her to go now. She looked at her mentor, Sprucespring, and he shoved her forward. She dove into the woods. Cedarpaw, the other apprentice debated on following just as Goldenstar turned his golden eyes on him.

"Cedarpaw, you are going to spar with me," he said. "Show me what you got." He backed up a pace, and Blossomtail backed away too. She felt... saddened that such an event had to happen.

Cedarpaw looked confused. "Now?"

"Yes, now! What you think i meant? We are not going to the training hollow; that will take too long," he said. "Attack me."

The poor apprentice looked overwhelmed, and he jumped at his leader with a half-hearted leap. Goldenstar easily swipped him to the side and jumped onto him, bitting his scruff. Cedarpaw shrieked as blood welled on his scratches. Blossomtail dug in her claws to keep herself from springing to his aid. 'You know better than to interfer,' she thought. 'And you are too old to be fighting anymore.'

Cedarpaw dug his claws into his leader's chest and threw him off. He attacked vicously head on. Goldenstar had him in a headlock, and the two went down in a blur of claws. From the corner of her eye, she could see Tigermask, Cedarpaw's mentor, and Sprucespring looking awkward. She knew the two wanted to help defend the tom, but it would mean exile if they interfered.

Eventually, the fighting stopped. Cedarpaw was lying in a puddle of blood, hardly conscious. Goldenstar stepped back, hardly a scratch penetrating his soft fluffy fur, yet he was covered in blood. Blossomtail couldn't keep still anymore, and doing her duty, she grabbed the leaf wrap she had hidden underneath a fern and started applying cobwebs and marigold on his wounds. There was so many that she had Tigermask retrieve some more.

"Cedarpaw will hunt after Sunpaw gets back," Goldenstar meowed, hardly acknowledging the fact that Cedarpaw was in a bad condition. Blossomtail held her tongue to avoid back talking her leader. It was law he had to get up and hunt after fighting. If not, he was exiled then. The apprentice rose unsteadily to his paws, shaking slightly. The medicine cat knew it was from both exhaustion and shock that his clan leader almost killed him. She clenched her jaw. Why must a thing be happening in her clan?? Why??

Sunpaw returned with the prey she caught. She had a rabbit, a wren, and a vole. She deposited them on the prey pile, catching sight of Cedarpaw. She let out a yowl of terror and pain, watching her brother half-heartedly go out to hunt in his condition.

"Bring back 3 pieces of prey," Blossomtail called out lightly. "Be careful, and be back before sunhigh!" She had noticed that Sunpaw had returned a little after the time she was supposed to be back. Her heart dropped.

"Alright, Sunpaw. Spar with me," Goldenstar meowed, standing back. The blood on his white fur shown like a bad omen.

Sunpaw hesitated, but looking at his pelt, she growled, and leaped at him. She clawed his face, and bit deep into his forleg. Blossomtail felt pride surge in her chest. Sunpaw might be able to stay!

Goldenstar wasn't allowing Sunpaw to get the best of him. Blossomtail's heart sank as her leader slapped Sunpaw away. She landed on her back, her belly exposed. Goldenstar slashed her chest, and she shrieked, clawing her leader fiercly. Blossomtail closed her eyes and turned away. She cringed against the shrieks and squeals Sunpaw made.

When it stopped, she turned to find Sunpaw still breathing, but looking in worst shape than Cedarpaw did. She knew she needed more herbs than what she had leftoever, and she sent both Tigermask and Sprucespring to fetch more. Tigermask let out a yowl of pain, and Sprucespring looked ready to get sick.

Goldenstar stepped away and started cleaning himself. Blossomtail held her tongue to avoid yelling at him. "Why did you attack such innocent cats? They could have died!" she thought. She saw him flick his gaze over to her, and she almost flinched, seeing the blood drip from his jaws.

"Tell Cedarpaw when he returns that his assessment is over," he meowed. "Sunpaw is finished too." He walked away to his den, his red fur looking like a battle field.

Blossomtail sighed, knowing he was going to think on who was going to stay or go. She could see from the corner of her eye as she dressed Sunpaw's wounds the other apprentice, Wildpaw, looking terrified, and she could see Grasskit on the other side looking as though he could throw up. "He will have his turn eventually," she thought. "Same to Wildpaw... Why must this happen?!"

Cedarpaw returned just as the sun was falling away from sunhigh. He had caught 4 pieces of prey, and he was wobbling from side to side. He collapsed right before the prey pile, gasping. He stared at Sunpaw in pain, thinking she was dead. Blossomtail shook her head when he looked up at her, and he cheered up some.

Once Sunpaw was takin care of, she walked away to sit by herself in her clearing while the apprentices conversed with their mentors. "More like mentors talking to the apprentices," she thought angrily. She kicked a pebble, watching it skid along the path. Any moment now, Goldenstar will call a meeting and tell them who is leaving and staying. Blossomtail decided she had enough. "This must stop!" she thought.