Hawkpaw's choice

Chapter 1

"Higher & make sure you use your speed!" Tawnyfern hissed "if you can't learn this simple move then you can forget about being a warrior!"

Does she ever have faith in me? Wondered Hawkpaw, if he was going to learn how to be a warrior then why didn't his mentor have faith in him, wouldn't it make him learn faster?

Hawkpaw completely forgot about his battle training while his mind buzzed with question.

"HEY! Watch out!" screeched Tawnyfern, but it was too late Hawkpaw had slid right out of the training hollow & straight into the hunting patrol. Tawnyfern slid down the slope careful not to lose grip on the slippery mud.

"Do you mind? We are trying to hunt here & you have scared all the prey from here to Starclan."

"Sorry about that Hollowfang" Tawnyfern stood a tail-length away from him," it seems my apprentice has got bees in his brain."

"Hey, you think it's my fault that it rained & made the training hollow all plastered with slippery mud!" Hollowfang rolled his eyes with a grunt.

"You know Hawkpaw, you were the one who caused this trouble" Harefeather sneered still trying to escape the mud that covered his pelt.

Yep he was just like his former mentor Hollowfang, they both seemed to act like they owned the clan. In fact, the day Harefeather became a warrior he started to act like he was the leader of Duskclan.

Tawnyfern glared at Hawkpaw "do you have something to say?"

Hawkpaw looked calmly back "no I don't" he claimed, Tawnyfern gave him a long hard glare,then she looked at Hollowfang. "I truly am sorry for this incident & I assure you it won't happen again."

"See to it that it doesn't, hunting patrol let's move !" As Hollowfang's patrol passed they muttered words about hawkpaw, but he didn't care he was used to it, half the clan hated him anyway.

"Common, were going back to camp" declared Tawnyfern "maybe you'll behave better if you were searching for elder's ticks."

Hawkpaw let his paws drag him home he hated this clan why couldn't he be he another clan like Flameclan instead of his own?

*+*

"I've got one right on my shoulder blade" Heavymark meowed gently, Hawkpaw was in fact stuck searching for elder's ticks as a punishment.

"You know when I was an apprentice..." Hollypetal started but whatever else she said Hawkpaw didn't catch, the elders cared for him like no one else but he only wanted to rest.

He was already annoyed because of how much Hollowfang & Harefeather had told to the whole clan. When Hawkpaw had finished he started to leave the den when Heavymark called him back, "why don't you stay? There is a puddle of water over there" Heavymark flicked his tail to a small pool that had been welcome when the storm came "you can wash off that wretched mousebile in there, then come rest next to me."

Hawkpaw wanted more than anything to curl up in his own nest but he obeyed Heavymark, washing his paws with the freezing water made him cold but as he curled up next to Heavymark his pelt was as warm as the sun Without meaning to Hawkpaw fell asleep next to Heavymark, until he felt the unusual warmth of another cat's pelt, at that moment Hawkpaw realized that he was still I the elders den.

Hawkpaw quietly slid out of the den & into the hollow, it was calm with everyone was in their dens, only Treegaze was awake guarding camp. Hawkpaw was exhausted so he went straight to the apprentice den, by the time he reached his nest he was freezing, all the warmth from heavymark had seemed to leave him. curling up in his nest he closed his eyes hoping to see another better day soon