Slatepaw crept through the forest, making sure that every pawstep was silent and his prey was completely oblivious to the danger he presented. He could see the squirrel just a few taillengths away from Slatepaw's claws. He let out a silent breath to steady his body, making sure that he was intently focused on this catch.
He shifted his weight into his haunches and put his strength into a mighty leap forward. With claws extended, his paws landed cleanly on the squirrel, pinning the plump red squirrel to the forest floor and killing it with a clean bite to the neck. Perfect. Slatepaw thought with a swipe of his tail. Every time.
"Good work, Slatepaw." His ears twitched when he heard the voice of his mentor, Leafdawn, approach. Her mottled brown pelt coming into view. "The assessment is done, let's meet up with your sisters."
Slatepaw gave his mentor a nod then the two of them worked together to gather all the prey he had caught. As usual, Slatepaw caught a bountiful amount even though the air had been getting colder with each passing day. He confidently carried his catch back to the training area. He and Leafdawn arrived last and he saw his sisters, Mistpaw and Dewpaw sitting with their mentors Ravensong and Rabbitspring.
Mistpaw had four pieces of prey at her paws while Dewpaw had three, both paling in comparison to Slatepaw's six. He knew that his sisters were good hunters, but he would always outshine them. He sat down next to Mistpaw and awaited Leafdawn's approval. There was no way that he would fail this assessment and by the end of the day, at long last he would have his warrior name.
Slatepaw briefly recalled how Blossompaw, ridiculed him about his lack of a warrior name but he refused to let some lowly SunClan apprentice get under his skin. While he agreed that he should've been made a warrior as soon as he returned from the journey, he couldn't change the past, only his future.
"I'll go ahead and start." Ravensong spoke up. "Mistpaw, you did an incredible job while hunting. You remained focused and you stayed silent, not letting a single piece of prey escape. You have truly earned your place here in AshClan. You pass."
"I'll go next." Rabbitspring said, her voice small and timid. Slatepaw didn't know how such a skittish she-cat earned her warrior name, but it wasn't his place to question Riverstar's choices. Not yet, anyway. "Dewpaw you also did an incredible job hunting today. I am proud of the fine warrior that you have grown into and I know that the rest of the Clan will be proud of you as well."
"Thank you, Rabbitspring." Dewpaw purred softly.
"And finally, it's my turn." Leafdawn rose to her paws and faced Slatepaw with an intense expression. "Slatepaw you showed me on your very first day as an apprentice that you had a natural talent for being a warrior. Yet you had all the fiery arrogance of a fox. You still have that arrogance today, but I do believe that you learned a lot on the journey we took together. I still think that you need to work on your attitude, I believe that your skills will be an incredible benefit to AshClan. You pass."
There was no relief to be felt because Slatepaw knew that he already passed, Leafdawn would have to be a mouse-brained fool to keep as an apprentice for any longer. He already had the skills of a full grown warrior, he was certain he could fight most of the warriors in AshClan or any other Clan for that matter.
"Let's return to camp now." Ravensong mewed, standing up along with the others. "Riverstar doesn't like to waste time." Slatepaw stood up as well, he and Leafdawn carrying his prey back to the AshClan camp.
While he stayed composed and stoic, Slatepaw did feel a sense of excitement about finally earning his warrior name. He would finally not be restricted by a mentor, he would no longer have to do menial tasks such as removing ticks from the elders, he would have his own freedom to finally show AshClan what he could do.
The group of mentors and apprentices finally reached the AshClan camp and set their catches down on the fresh-kill pile while the mentors padded towards Riverstar's den so they could deliver the news. Slatepaw sat down with his sisters beside the apprentice den as they waited.
"Isn't this so exciting, Slatepaw?" Mistpaw mewed, nuding the dark gray tom. "We're finally becoming warriors."
"Took long enough." Slatepaw scoffed. "I should've been made a warrior a long time ago."
"I know you're this amazing warrior and you went on a super important journey," Dewpaw added with an amused purr. "But you do still have to be trained." She gave him a gentle prod with her paw. Slatepaw withheld a growl. He knew that neither of his sisters took being a warrior as serious as he did, and while he didn't think less of them for that it was clear how different their goals were. They just want to serve their Clans, I want to be the strongest warrior in the forest, and I know I will be.
"Slatepaw," A sudden voice pulled him out of his thoughts, he looked up to see the AshClan medicine cat, Blackstorm, standing before him. What does he want. "Can I borrow your paws for a moment?"
"Why me?" Slatepaw narrowed his eyes.
Blackstorm's tail twitched irritably. "Because you're the one I asked."
"I'm about to be made a warrior," Slatepaw mewed sternly. "I don't take orders from a medicine cat anymore."
"Is that so?" Blackstorm rolled his icy blue eyes. "I've dealt with arrogant warriors before and you're nothing special because you've got some special skills to hunt and fight well."
Slatepaw felt a spark of annoyance in his chest, wondering what Blackstorm thought gave him the authority to treat him this way. "I'm more of an AshClan cat than you'll ever be. You're too scared to fight and too stupid to hunt so you decided to spend your life picking flowers while us warriors risk our lives to keep you safe."
"Oh I've heard this before." Blackstorm looked bored and uninterested which angered Slatepaw even more. "You warriors are all the same, so self absorbed that you think claws are the answer to everything."
"If it's the answer you want I'll be sure to show it to you." Slatepaw stepped forward, baring his teeth and extending his claws. "You sure have a sharp tongue but I'll show you what a warrior is capable of." Slatepaw was clearly visibly stronger than Blackstorm, his broad shoulders and muscular body were clear signs that Slatepaw could easily show the medicine cat who he needed to respect, and yet Blackstorm didn't seem phased or threatened at all, this just deepend Slatepaw's anger.
"Slatepaw!" A rage filled mew sounded and Slatepaw broke his gaze away from Blackstorm, looking past the medicine cat where he saw Leafdawn standing with the other two mentors as well as Riverstar. Leafdawn faced Slatepaw with sheer anger in her eyes. "I knew you were arrogant but do I really see you threatening a Clanmate?"
Before Slatepaw could speak, Blackstorm turned around to answer instead. "I dared to disrespect the great and mighty Slatepaw by asking him to help me with a simple favor, and the only thing rattling around his thick head is violence."
Slatepaw let out a hiss on instinct, causing Leafdawn to shoot forward and shove Slatepaw to the side, he landed on his shoulder but quickly recovered and faced his mentor, his fur puffing up and his claws scraping against the stone floor of the camp. "I cannot believe you, Slatepaw." Leafdawn's voice was seething with anger. "I knew you were arrogant, I knew that you were quick to violence but I never thought you would threaten violence against your own medicine cat, against your own Clanmate. You are a disgrace to this Clan and everything that I taught you."
Slatepaw's ears flattened and he lowered his body to the ground as Leafdawn berated him, all of AshClan had taken notice and were watching. "I requested that Riverstar send us on that journey in hopes that it would help you mature and gain a sense of humility, and for a moment I thought you did but I see now that I was wrong. I have never in my life felt such disappointment and guilt. Clearly I failed you as a mentor if I couldn't even teach you basic respect of your Clanmates."
Slatepaw couldn't say anything, there was a storm of emotions raging in his mind and heart. He had never seen Leafdawn this mad before, and there was an unsettling feeling brewing in his stomach. "You may have the skills, but you do not have the mental maturity it takes to be an AshClan warrior and that's why--" Leafdawn took a deep breath. "That's why I am taking back what I said. Slatepaw, you will not become a warrior until prove to me that you can show your Clanmates some respect and until you stop being so self absorbed. Your warrior ceremony is not happening today."
Anger and shocked snapped inside of Slatepaw and he rose to his paws, feeling like he could scream and fight. The feelings inside of him were burning like a fire, catching in his throat making his voice shake as he spoke. "You can't do that!" Slatepaw roared. "You're not a leader! You can't take this ceremony away from me! I worked harder than any cat in this Clan to get here! I am the strongest apprentice this Clan has ever seen!"
"You may be strong," This time it was Riverstar who spoke, stepping forward to stand beside Leafdawn. The look in Riverstar's eyes was something completely different, but it made Slatepaw feel unease in his heart. "But you lack a severe understanding of what it means to be an AshClan warrior. I was like you once, thinking that I deserved whatever I wanted, and because of it I hurt the ones around me the most." Her eyes briefly traveled to Mistpaw and Dewpaw before returning to Slatepaw. "It is not the leader's job to decide when an apprentice is ready to earn their warrior name, it is the mentor's, and if your mentor does not want you to become a warrior then I will not make you one. You will not be having your ceremony along with your sisters. You will not be made a warrior today."
Slatepaw stood is a stunned silence, his body trembling with anger. He felt betrayed, he felt like he was being cheated as every cat in the Clan looked at him like he was a failure. He clenched his jaw and his claws scraped harder against the stone. "I wish that you would have never been made my mentor." He looked up, glaring at Leafdawn. This is her fault. "I hate you!" He roared before turning on his paws and running into the pine trees.
He didn't know which direction he was running, he just kept going. The world around him faded into a blur as his paws beat against the forest floor, kicking up rocks and pine needles as he ran with all of his might. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, he wasn't sure he had ever run this fast. The anger and pain he felt was fueling his energy, making his legs move faster.
He ran for a long time, he wasn't sure how far he was but eventually his vision came back into focus he realized he was nearing the edge of AshClan territory, near where the Clans first stepped into the new territories. Slatepaw skidded to a stop and finally stopped. His heart was pounding heavily in his chest and his breathing was heavy, his legs aching slightly. He didn't realize he had ran this far.
The running left him exhausted but it helped him to numb his thoughts, the anger that he felt still burned deeply in his chest. The humiliation that he had endured as his entire Clan watched both Leafdawn and Riverstar tear him down. Slatepaw let his body give on him as he laid down in a pile of pine needles, his eyes closed and without thinking he let sleep take him.
*****
Slatepaw's body was cold and stiff when he woke up in the morning, he still felt a smoldering anger inside of him but he knew that running away from AshClan wasn't the option. He begrudgingly rose to his paws and started the long walk back to camp. When he finally arrived, all the AshClan cats seemed to notice him. He kept his expression stoic and did his best to ignore them, but there was one cat that he couldn't get away with ignoring; his mother.
Silvermoon approached him with concern in your eyes. "I was worried sick about you, Slatepaw. You never came home last night."
"I'm aware." Slatepaw grumbled. "I needed to think."
Silvermoon sighed. "You know your father was arrogant, especially when he was an apprentice." Slatepaw's ears twitched, wondering why she thought it was necessary to bring up Ashblaze, he died when Slatepaw was only a kit he had little to no memories of him. "He thought he could win any fight and thought that he was better than the cats around him. However, when it really mattered to him he eventually grew up. It wasn't his raw talent that earned him the position of deputy, it was his loyalty and dedication to his Clanmates. Ashblaze had to learn that he wasn't above his Clanmates, he was equal to them."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Slatepaw replied, keeping his voice low.
"No." Silvermoon shook her head. "I'm telling you this in hopes that you'll soon realize that you too, need to grow up." His mother's stern and blunt words struck at him like a set of razor sharp claws. "You should go congratulate Mistflight and Dewleaf." Hearing their warrior names even worsened the emotional wounds he felt.
"I will later." Slatepaw growled and walked away from his mother towards the apprentice den, it was empty inside thankfully and he flopped down into his nest. I shouldn't be in here. I should have my warrior name too. His claws began to angrily tear at the lining of his nest. I can't let this destroy me. I will get my warrior name, I will prove to this Clan that I am still the strongest cat in the Clan. No matter what.