Warriors #5: Heart of Fire

Chapter 4

Swiftpaw's POV

Despite the snow beneath my paws, the sun was blazing in the center of the sky like never before as I crawled through the camp entrance just behind Foxleap, returning from one of our training sessions.

"Great job today, Swiftpaw, as usual!" Foxleap praised to me once we had arrived in the camp clearing. I narrowed my eyes as my mentor then looked at me up and down. "You should definitely loosen up a little, though. You're so tense sometimes!"

Gee, I wonder why? I thought sarcastically, even though Foxleap wouldn't have any idea as to why I was indeed so stiff. Not only am I sore from the recent ShadowClan battle, but all of the training I am doing - in ThunderClan and in the Dark Forest - only adds to that!

Luckily, Foxleap didn't probe me about that anymore. He began to pad over to the fresh-kill pile, calling back, "Take a break for now, but you and I are joining the hunting patrol later!"

I nodded and lashed my tail in farewell to the dark ginger warrior before beginning to pad over to the apprentices den. I was exhausted, having been training since dawn, so I decided that I would try and take a nap.

But, it was only heartbeats later that I paused, realizing that a nap was something that I definitely didn't want to do. Not now. I only should sleep when I have to, I told myself as I turned away from my den. If I sleep, I may be dragged back to the Dark Forest...

I had been training in the Dark Forest for moons now - since I was about a two-moon old kit, and Ashfur, a member of the Dark Forest, had managed to give me some excellent tips and skills to get me ahead.

But just a couple of days ago, I had discovered Ashfur's true motive, just by eavesdropping from some bushes a few tail-lengths away. Well, at least that he had a motive that was different from what I thought - but I didn't know what it was. The speckled-gray tom had had no idea that I was listening, and as far as I knew, he still didn't.

Since then, I had felt more trapped than I ever had in my entire life, and I had no idea what to do with this information that I had overheard. I had been trying to think about what I wanted to do... how to handle it.

And unfortunately, all I had managed to come up with was to continue exactly what I was doing. Me defying against Ashfur's plan may put me in even more danger than if I were to comply with them, I had told myself. Until I figure something else out, I feel like this is my only option. I am probably going to continue to receive some helpful training along the way, anyway.

Up until this moment, I had been trying to convince myself that everything would be fine... maybe. After all, I'd only be treading on sharp stones while I was asleep. During the day, I knew that I could just train as a normal ThunderClan apprentice.

Well, the only lack of normalcy being that I probably shouldn't take naps.

I didn't know if this whole decision came out of fear, or actual certainty, but I knew that I was committing to it, either way. Ashfur may be able to manipulate me while I'm in the Dark Forest, but when I'm awake, I can proceed on as normal, I told myself as I flitted my gaze around the ThunderClan camp. Everything will be fine.

I wondered how I could pass the time before going on the hunting patrol with Foxleap, and eventually decided that I would get some mouse-bile and help to get the ticks off of the elders. Might as well get that disgusting job over with so that I'm not asked to do it later.

I turned and quickly trotted over to the medicine den, my nose already wrinkling at the thought of carrying the repulsive heap of mouse-bile moss in my jaws as I took it to the elders.