Warriors Night Sky

Chapter 18

"Crookedpaw!" growled Fleckpelt. Crookedpaw blinked her eyes. She was in the apprentice den. "You have another assessment! Don't make your denmates wait for you!"

It has been a moon since Leopardpaw disappeared. Riverkit and Swiftkit were apprentices now, Riverpaw and Swiftpaw.

"C'mon! All the apprentices are waiting!" Fleckpelt nudged Crookedpaw.

"Okay," Crookedpaw padded out of the den. She saw Ratstrike and Firepool sharing tongues in the clearing.

It was not hard to see that Ratstrike fell in love with Firepool. He always brought fresh-kill to her. She would refuse but then eat it later.

"Crookedpaw! Crookedpaw!" yowled Riverpaw. "Lets go!"

The apprentices left camp. Okay now its time to focus. I see a blackbird over there.

Crookedpaw slowly stalked the small bird. She remembered what Fleckpelt had taught her.

Crookedpaw couldn't see over the reeds. Keep your head up! The growls of Fleckpelt flashed in her mind.

She brought her head up, continuing to stalk the blackbird. Once she got close, she flexed her claws.

She pounced and landed on top of it. It fluttered in panic. Crookedpaw snapped its neck with a paw.

She felt proud of her catch. She carried down by the river. She was going to catch a fish.

She patiently waited by the river. A trout swam past her. Crookedpaw dove into the water. She hooked the trout in her claws and swam to the surface.

She threw it up, catching her breath. She then bit it in the neck killing it.

After awhile, she was back at camp. "Did you see pike I caught?" asked Swiftpaw. "Well, did you see my carp? Its huge!" boasted Riverpaw.

Sootdust came over to her kits. "You grow up so fast." she meowed.

Riverpaw smiled proudly. "I can't wait till I become a warrior!" she mewed.

Bramblepaw came and sat next to the two apprentices. "You guys are really good at catching fish." he meowed. Swiftpaw looked up at him proudly.

Crookedpaw didn't listen to the rest of their conversation. She gulped down the rest of her pike and stood up.

"What!?" The loud growl made Crookedpaw jump. She heard it from the medicine den.

She trotted in, and saw Piperclaw and Otterheart. "Whats going on in here?" she asked.

"Piperclaw is having kits, and shes having them, tomorrow!" yowled Otterheart.

"Why so soon?" asked Crookedpaw. "Because she was full of kits moons ago!" hissed Otterheart. Crookedpaw froze.

"Piperclaw, who did you mate with?" asked Crookedpaw. Piperclaw stared at Crookedpaw.

"Thats none of your concern." she said simply. Crookedpaw was wondering who she mated with.

She padded out of the den and saw Icestar speaking to Thorntail. "Do you think Bramblepaw should be made warrior soon?" Icestar asked.

"Of course, he works harder than any apprentice. I think in two moons he should be warrior." Thorntail meowed. Icestar nodded. "I will think of a good time for an assessment."

Thorntail dipped his head to Icestar and padded away. Crookedpaw's mouth dropped. He gets to be made warrior? Its not fair! I train harder than Brambepaw.

Crookedpaw was filled with rage. She wanted to cool off. She walked out of camp. She went to the river nearby. Crookedpaw stared at it.

She saw her reflection in the water. She saw her crooked jaw. Crookedpaw opened her mouth. Teeth were set sideways, and she had some missing.

Crookedpaw barely remembered she had broke her jaw. Except Redleaf would remind her again.

Redleaf was just by Crookedpaw. "Good job on your assessment Crookedpaw." she meowed.

Redleaf had praised her! Crookedpaw looked up at Redleaf. "I'm sorry I can't make you proud of me often." she said.

Redleaf just stared at Crookedpaw. She stood up and went back into camp.

Crookedpaw went back to camp. Riverpaw was chasing a butterfly. "I got it!" she declared.

"Your an apprentice not a kit!" laughed Swiftpaw. Riverpaw shoved her sister. "I still have a kit side!"

Swiftpaw rolled her eyes. Crookedpaw was just ready to settle down in her nest.

Then she heard a loud battle cry. Crookedpaw jumped up and pricked her ears.

"Its coming from the marshland!" yowled Icestar. "I want Crookedpaw, Twistedjaw, Firepool, Sneezepaw, Fleckpelt and Sootdust. Thorntail, if we let out a loud yowl send in reinforcements." Icestar growled.

He led the battle patrol out of camp. The trekked to the marshland. "Ashstar!" Icestar lashed his tail.

Ashstar stopped and looked at Icestar. "My PineClan warriors, send in the second patrol!" snarled Ashstar.

The deputy nodded at Ashstar and yowled into the bushes. More warriors came out. "Your patrol was around here, and then we attacked them!"

Crookedpaw saw Oaknose laying on the ground. Blood stained his pelt. Alongside him was Ratstrike and Duststorm.

"Ratstrike!" Firepool yowled. She darted forward and pummeled Sharptooth to the ground. The battle began.

Crookedpaw stared down at the bodies of the warriors. She had to heal them. She remembered what Otterheart had taught her. Crookedpaw ran into the nearby bushes and picked out poppy seeds.

She grabbed cobwebs near the bushes. Crookedpaw padded out and ran toward Oaknose.

She wrapped the cobwebs around Oaknose's hind leg. She put poppy seeds under his nose. "Oaknose," she whispered. "Eat these."

Oaknose licked the poppy seeds and swallowed them. A cat pounced and pinned Crookedpaw. She struggled to free herself. "Let me heal the warriors!" she growled.

Then Crookedpaw noticed the cat was black. She realized that the black cat was Jaypaw.