ThunderClan's Hope- Book #1 in Sunrise

Chapter 26

Dewstorm looked at Starlight. "I'm going to have kits." She whispered. Starlight practically leaped out of his nest. "You what?" He dug his muzzle into her fur, laughing with joy. Dewstorm felt her pelt warm with pleasure that he was happy. "Oh, Dewstorm, that's great! We'll have to move you to the nursery right away!" He was pretty much shouting, and she quieted him down. "I'm probably not even two moons deep." She said. "Wait a few moons." Starlight composed himself.

"Okay, you're right." He looked at the starry sky, his fur standing on end. "I'm going to be a father!" He sat up, and then, eventually, he settled back into his nest. "This is great," Dewstorm thought he had fallen to sleep, his back turned to her, his flanks heaving slowly. "At least don't do battle training with Sparrowpaw." He offered. How strong does he think Sparrowpaw has grown in five moons? She laughed and rolled over, going to sleep herself.
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She sat in Ravenstar's den. He stared at her with his amber eyes, penetrating her pelt. "So, you two want your apprentices to have their assessment early," He confirmed, his gaze traveling across them. Dewstorm and Starlight nodded eagerly. "Why?" He asked. He looked extremely confused as to why he would ever let any apprentices that are perfectly fine become warriors early. "Well, Sparrowpaw has excellent hunting skills, and I don't think I could stuff any more information about battle training if my life depended on it," Dewstorm meowed convincingly. "And Lightningpaw lives up to her name. Her battle moves are as fast as lightning. She catches even me off guard."

Starlight meowed earnestly. Ravenstar squinted. "Well, a moon early wouldn't be too bad for such extraordinary talents, but, I think you may be forgetting Moonpaw."

A moment later, Adderjaw stood in the den, also, his pelt ruffled from sleep. "Well, Moonpaw does seem to have a knack for herbs, and the memory of a..... well, I don't know what to compare her memory to. It's so good." It was unlike Adderjaw to compliment cats, but, here he was with moss stuck in his fur, commenting the life out of this situation. Ravenstar seemed surprised, also, because he dragged a paw over his ear and whistled.

"Well, I could give them an early assignment, but you would have to ask the apprentices. If they say yes, be at the camp entrance as soon as you get your answer." He looked to tired for an argument, and Dewstorm felt sorry for him. Being a leader seemed to be harder then it was thought up to be. They left the den, all three of them turning for the apprentices den. In the background, Flipnose called Frostfang, Peppernose, Twitchheart, and Sunray up for a hunting patrol.

Lightningpaw sat up first, her orange pelt glimmering in the rising sun. "Oh, get up Sparrowpaw, Moonpaw, we overslept!" They hurriedly got out of their nest, shaking the moss from their fur. "Stop, hold on. Sparrowpaw, come here. I need to ask you something." Sparrowpaw padded hesitantly out of the den, looking at Dewstorm questioningly. "Would you like to take your assessment early?" She asked plainly. Sparrowpaw sat confused for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "What did I do to deserve this?" She asked dramatically. "Yes! When?" Dewstorm, Adderjaw, and Starlight lead the apprentices to the entrance. "Now. No talking to each other and-" "Catch all the prey you can," Shouted the apprentices. "Be back by sundown!"

Dewstorm looked at Starlight. Adderjaw stayed by the entrance, waiting for Ravenstar. Once Sparrowpaw's tail disappeared around the bend, Dewstorm stealthily followed. She pressed close to a tree, watching as Sparrowpaw searched for the best place to hunt. She stopped at a grove of pine trees, knowing that this was an ideal place to have a burrow. Dewstorm watched from a bush as Sparrowpaw stopped and crouched, seeing something hidden from Dewstorm's view.

Sparrowpaw pounced, turning around holding a small hare in her jaws. It must have emerged from its burrow searching for food when Sparrowpaw emerged from the shadows. She shivered. It must be horrible to be prey. As Sparrowpaw moved on, so did Dewstorm. She never had realized how hard it would be to follow a cat until now. Dewstorm suddenly felt bad for Fireclaw, who had to chase her while she ran.

When she caught up, she saw that Sparrowpaw had caught a mouse, and she was now digging a hole to bury it in. "Thank you StarClan for this prey." She whispered.
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Dewstorm had hurried back to camp the second the sky had turned orange, and she saw Starlight sitting casually by the entrance, as if trying to look like he had been waiting for her, though his flanks were heaving. "How did Lightningpaw do?" Dewstorm asked. Starlight sighed. "She scared me half to death when she stuck her paw into a burrow, but, she caught several pieces of prey. How about Sparrowpaw?" He asked.

"Well, she did miss a few pieces of prey I saw, but she caught more prey than I did during my assessment." Dewstorm stiffened as she smelled Lightningpaw's scent. She came in carrying a squirrel, two mice, and a rabbit. Dewstorm kept her jaw from dropping. Where did this cat hunt? "Great job, Lightningpaw!" Starlight cheered. He sniffed the rabbit. "Pondnose- oh, and Riverrush- would love that! Why don't you go ahead and bring it to them. They'd be delighted!" Lightningpaw puffed out her orange and white chest and picked the rabbit up. Sparrowpaw charged into camp a few moments later, the prey in hew jaws flinging back and forth.

She looked up at the fading sky. "Am I late?" She panted, dropping a mouse, a chipmunk, and two hares at their feet. "No, you're just in time." Sparrowpaw relaxed and looked around the camp. "Where's Moonpaw?" She asked. "I think she's still doing her assessment." Starlight guessed looking at the motionless den.

Sparrowpaw shook her paws and approached Lightningpaw. Dewstorm looked at Starlight, wondering when to let Ravenstar know that the apprentices had passed the assessment and were ready for their warrior names.