Warriors: Storm Coming - Rising Dawn

Chapter 2

Creekpaw sat in the empty clearing, looking down at the stream in front of her. Blue glistening water calmly flowed down the stream; the sound was like music to Creekpaw's ears.

She continued to sit there. She looked across the stream longingly. Her paws itched, daring her to run forward. Creekpaw just wanted to run, she had no clue where. It felt like her paws were going to guide her.

She turned her back on the stream and padded back to camp. Creekpaw's nose twitched as she smelled the delicious scent of fresh-kill. She picked up a warm fish and laid down, dropping it at her paws. She learned forward to take a bite. The chewy piece made her mouth water. She savoured the flavor.

She turned her head and saw her brother, Larkpaw. "Hi Larkpaw." she meowed.

Larkpaw meowed, "Hi Creekpaw!" At that moment, Shimmerpaw laid down beside him.

Creekpaw turned back around to eat her fish. She ate the entire thing in minutes, devouring the last morsels of it.

She decided to do some hunting so she could contribute to the plentiful fresh-kill pile. She asked her mentor for permission and with permission, she padded off into the familiar clearing surrounded by a stream. The wet fresh grass brushed against her paws with each step and the breeze ruffled her fur.

She approached the stream, making sure her shadow didn't reflect on the glistening water. She sat down and waited, she didn't know how long it was before she saw a fish. She scooped it up with her paw successfully and bit it.

She dropped it beside her and felt good about her catch, more than she should have felt for such a small catch.

She began to wait for another fish. When she saw one, she tried to scoop it up with her paw but accidentally splashed the water. The loud splash made the fish swim away.

"Fox dung," Creekpaw murmured. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this..."

Her paws felt the itch to run again, but she did not give in. She stood, looking at the stream. The glistening water looked enchanting. The cool breeze ruffled her fur. Her tail swished back and forth.

Creekpaw decided to get up and walk away before she gave in. She padded away, only to find her mentor, Stormwhisper.

Stormwhisper sat under a willow tree, his pale gray tail wrapped neatly around his paws. "You have your assessment today." he meowed. 

"Oh, right," Creekpaw meowed, looking down at her paws.

"Remember, no talking to me." he meowed. "And do your best," he added.

"Larkpaw and Shimmerpaw will also be doing their assessment, don't talk to them during your assessment. Focus on hunting," Stormwhisper continued.

At that very moment, Larkpaw and Shimmerpaw padded into the clearing, followed by their mentors, Minnowfur and Briarshell.

"Get ready for your assessment," Briarshell told them all.

Creekpaw padded over to the stream and bent her head down. She opened her mouth and began to lap up the water. The moment the cold refreshing water entered her mouth, a calm sensation began to flow through her. She felt relaxed and at peace, completely forgetting about the assessment.

Larkpaw and Shimmerpaw padded over to join her and lapped up water quickly. Creekpaw could see them murmuring encouragment to each other.

"Are you all ready?" Minnowfur meowed.

Creekpaw nodded her head.

"Yeah!" Larkpaw meowed.

Shimmerpaw meowed, "Yes!"

"Then you may begin," Stormwhisper meowed.

Shimmerpaw and Larkpaw darted off, going seperate ways. Creekpaw ran across the grass clearing and up to the stream. Her paws brushed the wet, fresh grass as she ran and her heart thumped in her chest nervously. 

She waited for a fish to rise in the water. Creekpaw twitched her nose, sniffing. She glanced around, looking for a fish anywhere. She finally spotted one. Reaching low with her paw into the cold water that lapped at her paw, she attempted to scoop the fish out. The fish swam away. Dejected, Creekpaw pulled her paw out of the water. Her soaking wet fur clung to her paw.

She decided to hunt something else. She darted over to the Great Willows; a patch full of tall willow trees where there are lots of thrushes. 

She spotted the familiar trunk of the tallest willow tree of them and she immediately raced up to it. She slowed down and skidded towards the trunk. She stopped just in time and got up. She began to climb across the jagged uneven trunk. 

Creekpaw sniffed the air and looked all around her but she found no sign of a thrush. Frustrated, she climbed up higher. She looked down and saw the great height she had climbed. "Great StarClan!" she murmured. Carefully, she creeped down the tree trunk. She caught her fur on a jagged part of the tree. She pulled her paw away and lost her balance. She fell of the tree and landed with a thud on the ground.

"Fox dung." she muttered. She got up and looked back up at the willow tree but she still saw no sign of a thrush.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her paw. It felt absolutely horrible, like something she had never felt before. She yowled in pain. 

She collasped to the floor and darkness swallowed her whole.

....

She woke up in a nest. She looked around a bit, her head spinning. An unfamiliar scent drifted into her nose and she realized she was in the medicine den, surrounded by herbs. Bristleheart stood in front of her. She was chewing a plant with a long green stem and small white flowers into a poultice. Once chewed, she spit out the poultice and began to apply it to Creekpaw's paw.

"What happened?" Creekpaw meowed.

"You got bitten by an adder."

Creekpaw's eyes widened with alarm. "What will happen to me?"

"You'll be fine, you'll just have to take a short break from your training." Bristleheart meowed.

"How long?"

"Less than a moon."

"But I have my final assessment then!"

Bristleheart gave her a quick lick between the ears. "I'm sorry, Creekpaw." she meowed.

"What happened with Larkpaw and Shimmerpaw during the assessment?"

Bristleheart looked up at her. "They passed,"

"So they'll become warriors?"

"Only if they pass the final assessment," Bristleheart meowed.

Saddened by this news, Creekpaw felt an emptiness overcome her. She laid her head down on her paws and closed her eyes.

She saw a beautiful forest; dense and green. As Creekpaw ran forward, she felt no pain in her paw. Her paws felt light as if she was flying. Then Creekpaw spotted a small tabby she-cat with amber eyes. "Who are you?" Creekpaw meowed curiously, stopping.

"I'm Leafpool,"

Creekpaw's eyes widened. She had heard of Leafpool from stories from a long time ago, passed on by elders. "You're Leafpool?"

"Yes, Creekpaw." Leafpool meowed. "And I've come to speak to you." She walked around Creekpaw, her pelt occasionally brushing Creekpaw's flank.

"About what?" Creekpaw meowed curiously.

Leafpaw turned towards Creekpaw, her amber eyes staring straight at Creekpaw. "Creekpaw, you're following the wrong path."

"What?"

"This is not your destiny." Leafpool meowed. "You have to become a medicine cat,"

"It's my destiny?" Creekpaw meowed.

Leafpool nodded. "Please, Creekpaw. You have to follow the right path."

"Okay, fine." Creekpaw meowed, taking a deep breath. "I-I'll be a medicine cat."