Shining of the Four

Chapter 40

            Lifepaw awoke with excitement, wishing she could just scream. Unfortunately, other apprentices still slept, and she carefully snuck out of the den, the cool breeze of leaf-fall rubbing against her as she padded outside.

            Today she would be performing her apprentice exam, and if she did well, today could be the day that she became a warrior!

            She knew Tinypelt was probably still sleeping, but Lifepaw's excitement kept her from sleeping any longer. She would finally become a warrior today!

            Grabbing a mouse from the fresh-kill pile, she sat down, wishing Goosepaw and his siblings could share in the excitement with her. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be warriors for another moon or so, leaving Lifepaw to experience warrior duties on her own.

            As she nibbled at her mouse, worried thoughts became replaced by excited ones. She wondered if she truly was a ready to become a warrior. What if Tinypelt decided she wasn't? What if she had to keep grabbing moss for the elders?

            She shook these thoughts away, knowing she had trained long and hard for this day. After all, Tinypelt had just told her the other day that she would be ready to become a warrior soon.

            Tossing her half-eaten mouse aside, she no longer felt hungry but wished to begin right away. If only Tinypelt would wake up...

            Lifepaw sat impatiently, her hair spiking up as she felt a tail touch her shoulder. Lifepaw spun around, coming to face to face with none other than her father. He stood in front of her, a gentle smile on his face. She hadn't noticed how old he looked recently. His green eyes had dulled, and he no longer had kit-like energy.

            "H-Hi," she managed to speak up. Though she and her father had not gotten into a fight, they didn't speak to each other that often. She knew Patchfur was busy, and Lifepaw had her own friends, but she still longed for some kind of relationship with him. Mousestripe spoke to Lifepaw at times, as did Stormnight and Graytail, but it seemed like her family relationships had all fallen apart.

            "I, um, came to wish you good luck today," Patchfur spoke quietly.

            "Oh, thanks," Lifepaw replied. She expected him to leave, but he strayed a bit longer.

            "I'm sure you'll do well, so I'll see you at the ceremony when I come back from patrols," Patchfur explained.

            "Okay, see you then," Lifepaw spoke, noticing Tinypelt had just left the warriors den.

            But Patchfur did not leave.

            "You-you remind me a lot of Shinypelt," he admitted.

            Lifepaw nodded, her eyes following Tinypelt. "Yes, I get that a lot."

            "You've been told you look like her, but I think you act a lot like her too," Patchfur explained. What was that supposed to mean?

            Lifepaw nodded once more, a thin silence forming between them.

            "I should probably tell you--"

            But Lifepaw noticed Tinypelt glancing around, looking for her, so she cut her father off. "You can tell me later," Lifepaw explained. "I see Tinypelt waiting for me."

            "Oh, yes, of course," Patchfur agreed.

            Lifepaw ran off, waving good-bye to her father. He waved his tail back, but he looked sad almost. She really wished she had a better relationship with the tom. He'd been growing distant from her as she aged.