The Dawn of Night | A Warriors Fanfiction ✔

Chapter 22

"Alright, Beaverpaw. Attack me."

"A-Attack you?" Beaverpaw stammered.

Falconwing purred with amusement. "Your mentor just asked you to do something," he told the apprentice.

Sunstorm watched as the young apprentice ran at Falconwing and tried to bat at him with his paws. But Falconwing stepped easily to the side.

"Too slow," he meowed. "Again."

Beaverpaw's tail lashed with determination as he slowly stepped forward, then pounced. Falconwing prepared to step aside again, but Beaverpaw saw it coming; he leaped onto his mentor, turned, and pinned him down.

Falconwing stood up and licked the dust off his chest. "Much better." He nodded approvingly.

"I'm hungry," Beaverpaw panted. "Can we go back and grab the rabbit I caught earlier and then head back to camp?"

Falconwing stretched. "I suppose so," he agreed. "Does that sound good?" He turned to Sunstorm.

"Of course." Sunstorm padded after them, a strange feeling making her belly lurch as she followed him. They seemed to be growing closer every day.

They made their way toward Snakerocks where Beaverpaw had temporarily buried his fresh-kill. The apprentice dug it up and the warriors found their holes where they had buried their own prey. The sun was high in the sky as they headed toward camp, the light breeze ruffling their fur.

"You better go take some fresh-kill to Bluestripe and Willowtuft," Falconwing told Beaverpaw. "Then you can eat."

The brown tabby nodded and grabbed a water vole along with his own rabbit and headed toward the nursery. The queens were talking with each other. Acornkit, Flintkit and Patchkit, Willowtuft's kits, were almost weaned by now, but Swallowkit and Cherrykit were gently nursing next to their mother.

"Food," Willowtuft purred. "I feel like I haven't eaten in a moon."

Beaverpaw dropped the water vole in front of her and she began to eat it. Her kits began to nibble at it excitedly. Then Beaverpaw gave Bluestripe the rabbit. The queens thanked him and Beaverpaw headed toward the fresh-kill pile, choosing a squirrel, then padded toward the apprentices' den.

Scarpaw was eating a starling. "I learned some battle moves today," he mewed. "You should have seen! I bet I nearly took Forestfrost's ears off!"

"I went hunting," Duskpaw meowed proudly. "I caught this quail all by myself. It practically leaped into my paws-"

Beaverpaw sat down and began to eat his squirrel.

"Is it true that Falconwing is with Sunstorm all the time now, Beaverpaw?" Duskpaw interjected suddenly.

"Mostly," Beaverpaw answered.

"I didn't think Falconwing seemed the type," Scarpaw mentioned. "He was always the fierce one who was willing to sacrifice anything for his Clan. I don't think anyone expected him to find a mate."

"How do you know they're mates?" Duskpaw shrugged. "Maybe they're just good friends."

Beaverpaw glanced toward the warriors' den. The two cats were indeed together.

"Have you seen Bluestripe's kits?" Beaverpaw asked. "I just saw them earlier. They look just like their parents."

"I haven't," Scarpaw murmured. "But Willowtuft's kits are going to be apprenticed soon. They're like five and three-quarter moons or something."

"ThunderClan is growing fast," Duskpaw meowed wistfully. "I can't wait until I'm a warrior."

"We're barely apprentices," Beaverpaw pointed out.