Warriors- Rise of Darkness

Chapter 5

     "No, Hailpaw, sheath your claws when you fight!" Mintpool shouted.

Hailpaw panted, sheathing her claws, forgetting that she had even unsheathed them in the first place. Runningpaw swished his tail, excited to fight her back.

"Hold your ground Hailpaw!" Mintpool shouted.

Runningpaw lunged at her, tackling her to the ground. She tried to move but her brother was heavy and was able to disable her in a matter of seconds. He pressed his paw up against her throat.

"Runningpaw, stand down."

Runningpaw stepped off Hailpaw who gasped for air. He laughed at her "you suck and fighting!"

"So? You can't catch a mouse to save your life" she fired back.

"Alright you two, calm down," Mintpool said, "let's take a quick break and start this up again in a little bit."

Bluetail flicked his tail, looking over at Runningpaw proud "at this rate, You'll get your warrior name in no time."

Runningpaw glanced back at Hailpaw and snorted. He and Bluetail headed back into the clearing. Hailpaw sighed and collapsed on the ground. How was he a better fighter than her? She moved just how Mintpool had instructed her to do so. Why was she so terrible at this?

Mintpool walked up to her "Don't get down kit, it takes time to learn."

"Maybe I should have just become a medicine cat instead" she frowned.

Mintpool chuckled "you are meant to be a warrior, it's your calling."

"If I can't fight how can I even call myself one?"

"Don't be hard on yourself. You've only been an apprentice for a moon" he said, "that's very short." He sat down next to her "I want to tell you a story."

"I'm not a kit Mintpool" she grumbled.

"You'll like this story, it's about your father," he said.

Her ears pricked up "my father?"

He nodded "when we were kits and made apprentices, he was the clumsiest cat you would ever meet. He could barely catch prey without startling the whole forest and he sprained his paws many times during battle training" he said "I got my warrior name four moons before he did. It made him more determined," he paused. Hailpaw flicked her tail curious. "A sharp tooth came down from the peaks and attacked the clan. Many of our warriors died but your father managed to chase off the beast, at the cost of the left side of his face, but he earned his name that night and was a hero to the clan."

Hailpaw looked at Mintpool who purred in remembrance of his late litter mate "you'll get there someday."

He padded off and headed back into the clearing. Hailpaw twitched her tail. She had heard the story about the Sharp Tooth coming into camp and her father's great sacrifice, but it still wasn't comforting to know that he had to wait for four moons after Mintpool had gotten his name. Her fur ruffled, the winter air starting the chill her. She headed into the clearing, seeing no other option.

As she entered into the clearing, there was a small chatter of cats in excitement. Hailpaw bounded into the clearing to see Mintpool grooming Petalwish with such care.

She tipped her head confused. Sweetpaw raced up to her, bouncing almost in every step.

"It's so exciting!" She said.

"What's going on?" Hailpaw asked.

"Petalwish is expecting kits," she said, "Mintpool is so excited, it'll be his first litter, as well as hers, but still."