The lifeblood of the mouse dribbled down her face. It had been a messy kill, but a kill nonetheless. Phoenixpaw held the mouse in her mouth, trying to resist the urge to eat the mouse on sight. It was a hunting patrol, however, so the point was to bring food back, not fill her own grumbling belly.
Her self-control wavered until she noticed Petaldust. The she-cat looked down at her, her questioning eyes causing Phoenixpaw to ignore her stomach and keep holding the mouse.
The hunting patrol padded back to camp. It was a sunny day in the beginning of greenleaf. Phoenixpaw put the mouse down on the fresh-kill pile, and then wandered off. Rainpaw, as usual, was too busy to talk to her, so Phoenixpaw slowly made her way back to the prey pile.
Taking the mouse back off the top and eating it greedily, Phoenixpaw felt a cold breeze, much too cold for greenleaf. She turned around to see if anything was there, but it was just Petaldust, smiling at her. "Phoenixpaw!"
"What is it?" asked Phoenixpaw.
"Training. With Riverpaw. Now."
Phoenixpaw flattened her ears. "We did one yesterday."
"You're getting your warrior name soon! It's important that you train for the big day." she purred.
Phoenixpaw opened her mouth to argue, but Petaldust flicked her tail and Riverpaw followed her to the edge of the clearing. Phoenixpaw grudgingly trudged after.
The three cats walked in silence through the forest, the gurgling river besides them, the birds chirping overhead. Unlike usual, Phoenixpaw found herself enjoying it. She purred pleasantly, and felt warm fur brush against hers. Riverpaw was by her side. Quickly, Phoenixpaw struck him off, hissing.
"We're here. No more fighting, okay?" asked Petaldust. The training hollow was a log leading into a small clearing with bristly plants on each side. "You ready? Remember, you need to work together. For the prophecy. For the future of DragonClan."
"Ready as I'll ever be." said Riverpaw, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Well. This will be your final assessment. Working together, I need you two to find five sticks I've placed around the territory. There will be a guard at each stick, so you will need to practice fighting. Are you ready?"
Riverpaw nodded. Phoenixpaw puffed out her chest. Easy.
"Go!"
The two of them rushed by Petaldust, crowding into the log. "Let me through!" protested Phoenixpaw. Riverpaw didn't give in but instead struggled harder.
The two of them burst into the open clearing. "I'm guessing she put all the tough warriors up so we won't be able to split up." Phoenixpaw muttered.
"Most likely. You're a better scenter than me, want to start?" Riverpaw asked.
Phoenixpaw nodded. Opening her nostrils, the scent of Petaldust was as obvious as if she had made pawprints to lead the way to each stick. She dashed off into the forest, the feather dangling in the wind, bright as always.
The two cats quickly came to a dense patch of undergrowth. Stormmind stood proudly in front of a stick. Phoenixpaw jumped out of the bushes, and Stormmind attacked, claws sheathed. Even though there weren't fresh scars, Phoenixpaw heard a crack and barely had time to wonder what it was. She bat at Stormmind, lazily striking him, and while he was distracted. Riverpaw snuck around and thrust the stick out of the ground. Stormmind's ears pricked and he looked to see Riverpaw proudly holding the stick up.
Phoenixpaw looked down at herself. One of her claws was chipped off. "Always keep your claws sheathed in training." Stormmind scolded her.
Riverpaw turned to leave, but Stormmind announced, "No, I keep it. Your scent's all over it."
The two of them paced, side by side, following Phoenixpaw's nose to the edge of the territory. There, Starheart waited, the white flecks on her face shining like stars in the midday sun. Starheart noticed them both immediately, but she kept her tail curled around the stick. Riverpaw and Phoenixpaw went around her, and she flicked her tail up, jerking the stick up, holding it just out of their reach.
Phoenixpaw and Riverpaw both jumped in unison, their claws reaching out only to hit each other. Phoenixpaw hoisted herself onto Starheart, who simply accepted it and let her have the stick.
Dropping it at Starheart's feet, the two cats continued down to the heart of DragonClan territory, where Silentpelt lay in wait. He, unlike the past two, fought with all his strength. He pinned Riverpaw, his claws unsheathed, and Riverpaw's eyes flashed in panic. Phoenixpaw looked from him to the stick, and went for it, holding it up. Silentpelt didn't release Riverpaw, who began to scream, an awful, strangled scream.
Phoenixpaw thought, I should go get a warrior. Now.
But... will Riverpaw make it that long?
The screams were becoming more desperate. "Mrrroaaaaaw!" Phoenixpaw dove on top of Silentpelt, landing a powerful blow right to his spine. He crumpled, releasing a shivering, scarred Riverpaw, but then got up and laughed.
"You passed! Good job."
The two apprentices, terrified, got up and walked away, Riverpaw still limping.
"Only two more. Only two more." Phoenixpaw repeated over and over, her voice tired.
They stumbled together to where Phoenixpaw could tell that the fourth stick lay in wait. Growlclaw, who along with Ivywhisker, was one of the newest warriors, watched them with interest, then noticed Riverpaw's scars.
"What.. but we weren't supposed to?"
Phoenixpaw, desperate and tired, lunged at him. He could've easily sidestepped her, but in his shock, she landed straight in his face.
He hissed, and flung her off. Riverpaw had already grabbed the stick.
"Good luck?" Growlclaw mewed, but they were already gone.
The sun was setting and Phoenixpaw hadn't found the fifth stick. The trail was there, but it was stale- diluted with another scent. Phoenixpaw felt icy dread creep down the throat. Riverpaw was wheezing hard.
Stepping out into the clearing, lit by the setting sun, Phoenixpaw first noticed the stick, which was covered in red blood. Then, she saw the body. Darkshadow's broken, limp body.
"NO! NO! NO NO NO NO NO!"
The heart was ripped out, the entire body laid open and bloody on the forest ground. Seeing it, trembling harder than Riverpaw, Phoenixpaw finally recognized the scent. Fox.
