Tragedy {A Warrior Cats Fanfiction}

» Chapter Eight «

Kestrelpaw nervously waited right outside of camp, her heart hammering in her chest. She wished she could just hear the answer, what they have decided. I have been a good apprentice, haven't I? she thought.

      Wasppaw, however, was being his normal annoying yet charming self. He didn't seem to be nervous at all.

      "Stop worrying, mouse-brain," he said to her. "We're going to make it. We're special, remember? They have to make us warriors."

      They had had their assessments yesterday. Hunting in the morning and fighting in the afternoon. Kestrelpaw felt like she had done excellent with the hunting; she even brought back more prey than Wasppaw! However, she hadn't done so well with the fighting.

      Their mentors were currently speaking with Beetlestar, discussing their results on their assessments. Kestrelpaw felt pretty confident she had passed, but she still felt nervous. If she failed, everyone would make fun of her!

      A moon ago Violetpaw and Hawkpaw were made warriors, Violetpaw becoming Violetheart and Hawkpaw becoming Hawkflight. Now she had to wait and see if she would join them in the warriors den.

      "I wonder what my warrior name will be," said Wasppaw. "Probably something cool, like Waspclaw or Waspstrike. Although I guess it won't matter since I'll be Waspstar soon."

      "How do you know I won't be leader?" asked Kestrelpaw. "Maybe Beetlestar likes me better."

      "You wish," scoffed Wasppaw. Kestrelpaw wondered if he took that seriously; it was meant to be a joke.

      "I wonder what my warrior name will be," said Rainpaw quietly. It was the first time he had spoken all day.

      "Maybe Raincry, for your weak personality," said Wasppaw with a laugh. "Or better yet, Rainwimp." Rainpaw shrank down to the ground and backed away from Wasppaw. Kestrelpaw had a light smile, though she felt a little bad for Rainpaw.

      At long last, Amberheart, Crowpelt, and Cindertooth padded out. "It's time to come back into camp!" said Amberheart with unusual energy. She looked at Kestrelpaw with shining golden eyes.

      "Did I pass?" asked Kestrelpaw nervously.

      "You're about to find out," said Amberheart, though by looking at her face, Kestrelpaw already knew the answer.

      They all padded into camp as Beetlestar called a clan meeting. Briarwing sat next to him on Grand Rock with a grave look on her face. Beetlestar looked more jubilant and alive.

      Their mentors led them to the back of the group of cats crowding around Grand Rock.

      "As you all know we've had some... skirmishes with MarshClan, to say the least," said Beetlestar, starting the meeting. "I know many cats here want to strike back, but we must not answer their call. I believe that if we ignore them and not react to their hostility they will forget about it and leave us alone."

      Cries of outrage rose among the cats. Kestrelpaw was so focused on her training that she hadn't realized how blood-thirsty her clanmates were.

      She noticed Cindertooth was among the outraged cats and was yelling "Foxheart!" at the top of his lungs.

      There were a few, however, who nodded respectfully at Beetlestar, showing that they agreed, Amberheart and Crowpelt being among them.

      "On a different note," said Beetlestar. "I know there's been a bad case of whitecough and greencough going around. Cherrynose is doing the best she can to contain it and treat all the sick cats."

      Another thing Kestrelpaw hadn't been paying attention to. How had she not noticed these things before?

      "All the sick cats are currently resting in the medicine den and will stay there until fully healed. We're doing our best to prevent anyone else from getting sick and making sure it doesn't turn into the dreaded blackcough."

     Kestrelpaw looked in the audience for her mother. Her hopes fell when she couldn't find her. Where is she? Doesn't she care about me? Then Kestrelpaw wondered if she was sick and inside the medicine den, preventing her from coming out. A cold feeling spread over Kestrelpaw and she hoped her mother didn't have greencough.

      She did see both of Wasppaw's parents, Brightwhisker and Thistleleap. Brightwhisker looked very happy and excited, but Thistleleap was scowling and kept looking at the borders as though wondering when he could leave.

      Who's Rainpaw's parents? she wondered, realizing she didn't know who they were. She looked around. Nobody really looked like Rainpaw. Leafswirl, maybe? Leafswirl looked the most like Rainpaw, with her white fur and gray specks around her body. She looked old enough to be his mother.

      "On a happier note," began Beetlestar, drawing Kestrelpaw's attention back to the meeting. "It's time for three apprentices to become warriors."

      Kestrelpaw's heart fluttered. It was time. The moment she had been waiting for her entire life, ever since she had been kitted. What she had been training for.

      "Kestrelpaw, please step forward."

      Every cat moved over and created an alley leading Kestrelpaw to the Grand Rock. She padded through them, smiling and feeling proud. She continued to look around for Morningleaf but still couldn't see her. She must be sick, otherwise she would be here, thought Kestrelpaw.

      Beetlestar trained his green eyes on her and began. "I, Beetlestar, leader of CloudClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn."

      Kestrelpaw bounced excitedly, hoping it wasn't too noticeable.

      "Kestrelpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

      Kestrelpaw smiled eagerly. "I do," she managed to say. She found it hard to talk; she was so proud and excited.

      "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Kestrelpaw, from this moment you will be known as Kestrelfur. StarClan honors your spirit and we welcome you as a full warrior of CloudClan."

      That was it. Kestrelfur was now an official warrior. She had been training for several moons, which had been worth it for this moment.

      Beetlestar gracefully leaped down from the Grand Rock and rested his muzzle on Kestrelfur's forehead. Remembering tradition, she licked his shoulder.

      Beetlestar stepped back and leaped back onto the Grand Rock, most likely preparing for the next ceremony. Kestrelfur cast a glance over at her mentor, Amberheart, who was smiling warmly.

      Kestrelfur's heart fluttered. Now that Wasppaw and her were warriors, they could fulfill their destiny of being together. She remembered her dream of their kits from many moons ago. She couldn't wait to meet them. She couldn't wait for their lives to begin.

A/N::

There was a huge time skip between this chapter and the last one, and for that I apologize, but I needed to speed things up a bit.

Originally, I hadn't planned for Rainpaw to be an important character, but he turned out to play a huge role in the story, so as I go back and edit, I'm trying to develop him more through learning about his parents. There was a little bit of foreshadowing about that in this chapter. I'm probably going to end up adding a whole chapter just about Rainpaw and Kestrelpaw.

//Edited