Warriors - A New Tale

Chapter eight

Nutpaw woke up the next morning. It wasn't sunny like it normally was, but she felt calm. She licked her  fur a bit, and padded out of the den. She saw Snowpaw. She hissed. That fur ball! She waited for Mudspeed as far from her as possible. She saw Snowpaw glance at her a few times. Thinking about me, mouse brain? She thought. Then she wondered why she hated her so much. She never really did anything that bad. She quickly felt guilty. She looked over at Snowpaw and Snowpaw looked back. She got up and padded toward Nutpaw. "Hello there, Nutpaw" she mewed in a kinder tone. "Oh... hi" Nutpaw replied. Snowpaw looked down. "Look..." she meowed, clearing her throat. Nutpaw was listening. "I'm sorry about how I treated you some time before, I just felt like I had to because of... what some cats say..." Snowpaw explained, looking into Nutpaw's eyes. Nutpaw felt a warm feeling inside her chest, but she tried to not show it. "Which cats?" She mewed in confusion. "Uh... I feel it would be best not to say..." Snowpaw mewed quietly. "Well, thanks for saying that anyways!" Nutpaw purred. Snowpaw smiled. "Of course, Nutpaw."
Then Snowpaw's mentor, Whitestripe appeared from the warriors' den. "Oh, Snowpaw! Let's go!" He meowed, flashing a disgusted look at Nutpaw. Nutpaw's eats went back. She knew one of the cats that Snowpaw was talking about. Snowpaw nodded, looked to Nutpaw and went with her mentor away. Nutpaw waited and thought for a while after. What was taking her mentor so long? She waited even longer, so she thought about going to Gloomstar's den and asking where Mudspeed was. But she saw him eventually. "I'm so sorry for the wait" he mewed. She wondered why he had taken so long, but she didn't ask him. "What are we doing today?" Nutpaw asked. "Stormclaw and I think you're ready for your assessment" he purred calmly. Nutpaw's eyes lit up. "My assessment?!" She echoed. Mudspeed chuckled. "Yes!" He started leading her towards the boundary of Greenclan and Dawnclan. This is going to be so cool! Nutpaw thought to her self. When they arrived, Mudspeed looked at his apprentice. He didn't say anything out loud, but Nutpaw could tell what he was thinking. He was probably thinking something along the lines of 'My apprentice is growing up so fast.'
"Remember that you have until sunset" he mewed. "Okay, Mudspeed!"
"I'll be watching you, even though you won't see me!"
"Yes, Mudspeed!"
"Are you ready?"
Nutpaw stood confidently. "Ready as I'll ever be!" She meowed proudly. "Okay, go" Mudspeed mewed back. She ran quickly, before her mentor could say anything. She walked through the woods, sniffing for prey. The scent of rabbit cane to her nostrils. She looked around and saw it. She stalked it until it started hopping away. She started chasing after it. The rabbit didn't expect her, so she caught it easily. She suddenly felt her fur prick, and the feeling of being watched crept up her spine. But then she realized it must have just been Mudspeed. She kept on going. She saw a pigeon sitting on the lowest branch of a tree. I can catch that easily! She snook up on it and jumped into the tree. The pigeon flew away. Nutpaw groaned and jumped out of the tree. I'll get more prey... she reassured herself. She sat down and gave her chest fur a lick. Her mentor was watching her, she didn't want to mess up. She got up again to start walking and sniffing for prey. But instead of prey, she smelt another cat. The cat certainly wasn't Mudspeed. It was a she cat, and that was the only thing Nutpaw was sure about. The she cat had no clan scent. "Who goes there?" Nutpaw growled, though she was very afraid. She heard moving in the bushes. "Calm down, apprentice!" The stranger hissed. She smelt very familiar to Nutpaw now that she was up close to her. "Who are you?" Nutpaw asked firmly. "Who are you?" The cat responded, sharing the same de ja vu Nutpaw was. "Do I know you?"
"You should"
"Why?"
"I... am your kin..."
Nutpaw took a few steps back. "Are you related to Longclaw, or Leaffall?" The stranger looked hurt and angry at the same time. "What are you talking about? I am your mother!"