Pineshade's Loss

Chapter 30

Through these past couple of moons, Pineshade has worked hard on training Swiftpaw. Swiftpaw finally smoothed tensions with Ivypaw and they are now friends. Pineshade also watched as Swiftpaw and Wolfpaw continued to get closer and closer. Swiftpaw has been learning very well and his hunting is especially exceptional and now, it is time for the five apprentices' warrior assessments.

Pineshade watches his apprentice from afar along with Boulderstar. Swiftpaw crouches down low after catching the scent of an adder. As Swiftpaw sneaks closer to the adder, Pineshade notices it.

"Is he really going to try to catch it?" Pineshade asks himself in a quiet mumble. Adders are venomous snakes, so if Swiftpaw were to get bitten, it would be a huge concern. Pineshade watches worriedly as Swiftpaw leaps for the adder and actually manages to kill it in one swift bite. He picks it up in his jaws and looks around for Boulderstar and Pineshade proudly.

"Very impressive, Swiftpaw," Boulderstar meows to his grandson as Pineshade and himself appear in Swiftpaw's view.

"Thank you, Boulderstar!" Swiftpaw meows in a muffled voice.

Afterwards, Pineshade had a long wait as Boulderstar also had to watch the other apprentices' hunting. Finally, all of the mentors and apprentices, along with Boulderstar, were finally gathered together and ready for the fighting portion of the assessment.

"Each of you will battle your mentors with sheathed claws. You must defeat your mentor in order to pass this portion of the assessment. Although this may seem hard, make sure to just try your best," Boulderstar explains. "You will start once I say so."

Pineshade turns so he is facing his apprentice, looking into his yellow eyes.

"You're going to do great," Pineshade takes the moment to assure Swiftpaw.

"Now, start!" Boulderstar calls out.

Swiftpaw immediately leaps for Pineshade, but Pineshade, expecting the attack, quickly dodges his apprentice, letting him hit the ground. Swiftpaw doesn't hesitate to get up off the ground and leap for Pineshade again, taking him by surprise this time, knocking his mentor down. Since Pineshade knows how badly Swiftpaw wants to be warrior, he decides to take this moment to let him have the win. Swiftpaw successfully pins Pineshade to the ground, winning against him.

"You did great!" Pineshade meows to his apprentice. "I'm so proud of you."

"Yay! Thank you!" Swiftpaw cheers. Not long afterward, the other apprentices managed to successfully beat their mentors in battle.

"Great job, apprentices!" Boulderstar compliments. "All of you have passed both parts of your warrior assessments, it is now time for you to become warriors," he meows. "Let's head back to camp."

Then, all of the soon-to-be warriors and their mentors follow Boulderstar back to camp. Once they make it back, Boulderstar immediately heads over to the highbranch, leaping into it.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the high branch for a meeting!" Boulderstar calls out. The clan then gathers beneath the high branch. Swiftpaw looks over at Pineshade, twitching excitedly.

"Five ShadowClan apprentices have passed their warrior assessments and are now ready to become full warriors of ShadowClan," Boulderstar announces.

"Swiftpaw, please come forward," Boulderstar says. Then, Swiftpaw steps forward as he is told.

"I, Boulderstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn," Boulderstar meows. He then looks down Swiftpaw.