WARRIORS: DARKNESS AND LIGHT (Volume 1): THE MIDNIGHT SUN

Chapter 3

"Gotcha!"

Instinctively, Heatherpaw immediately ran away from where Harepaw leaped for her, an amused purr formed on her throat as he missed and instead, landed on the grass. While waiting for her ceremony (which was rumored to start at dusk), her and the Colony had decided to play a fun game of Cat and Hare to enjoy the time.

"Hold still!" Harepaw purred, running towards the soon-to-be-Warrior, who was already several fox-lenghts away. They don't call me the fastest cat in the lake for nothing! The brown cat thought as she looked back to Harepaw, who was already far from her sight.

Out of nowhere, she then crashed into another cat. Heatherpaw was about to apologize, but could then feel her fur rising with fear as she noticed it was Morningflower. One of the older cats from the clan. "Watch it!" She hissed. Once the elder turned and saw her pelt filled with dirt and clumps of grass, she hissed for a second time before reaching to lick the filth off. Once finished with her rough grooming, she gave the apprentice a distasteful look. "You're just like your father," she murmured. "Can't you two just stop getting into other's pelts?" That was all she needed to say to send Heatherpaw off with a sorry, and in return, getting a soulless snort.

Antpelt, who had also been playing the game, noticed the scene from the other side of the camp. Heatherpaw made her way towards him, they both were silent for a long time. Everyone knew Morningflower had once been a great WindClan warrior, and close to her littermate, Onestar himself, but after her mate and kits died in previous Red Moons, she had just been distant. Many had died in Red Moons.

Webfoot, Sunstrike, Weaselkit...the list could go on.

"Don't others ever get tired from being angry all the time? Don't you think fighting is a bit overrated?" Heatherpaw murmured miserably.

She could sense Antpelt's claws digging into the earth as they both looked below at the camp, he stayed quiet, giving Heatherpaw the familiar message that he was thinking. "Well...we are warriors Heatherpaw," he finally said. "I guess this is just our lifestyle."

The sentence caused Heatherpaw's claws to unsheathe, for her tail to touch the ground and start swinging back and forth roughly, and for a growl to begin rising deep within her throat.

Antpelt noticed this. "You do know we're trained to fight, right?" The tone in the sentence could have been scornful, but his voice made it obvious he wanted her to understand.

Heatherpaw sighed. "I just wish it could be the last choice we have to do when in trouble."

Antpelt touched his nose to her shoulder. "I know. And trust me, I wish it could be that easy."

Owlwhisker, Kestrelpaw, and Harepaw then walked towards them. Soon enough, Kestrelpaw nuzzled Heatherpaw's cheek affectionately. "We heard what happened, you okay?"

Heatherpaw nodded. "Thanks."

Kestrelpaw then looked at her with sad eyes. "Don't forget about me and Harepaw, alright?"

Heatherpaw couldn't help but purr amusingly. "You do know I'm just earning my place as a warrior, not leaving, right?"

"Still," Harepaw added. "We're gonna miss having you around in training sessions and us complaining about the warriors telling us to go to sleep early."

"I think I should be the one complaining," Kestrelpaw said, purring loudly. "I still have more moons to go, probably more than all of you combined to be a medicine cat!"

Owlwhisker put his tail around the apprentice's shoulder. "I know, but you'll be one, one day."

"Besides," Antpelt then joined the conversation. "You don't have to worry about getting through a silent vigil, I could barely make it out of mine."