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Dovepaw waited in silence; crouched low to the ground on the riverbed. The setting sun casting deep shadows all around her. Not only was she silent but her surroundings too, no wind to send the leaves shaking and no sounds of any nocturnal creatures this early in the night just yet. She was nervous, for once in her life scared that something might take advantage of two cats out at this time and suddenly attack like the dogs that had killed Pineheart. She squinted into the river with impatience and lashed her short tail, she glanced back to where Smallfeather, Riverclan’s smith, was watching her not too far off.

In her hand she clutched a long wooden stick, she had found it almost as soon as her warrior assessment had begun and latched her apprentice’s blade tightly to the end. She gripped it like her life depended on it. And to Dovepaw in this moment it did, she had known as soon as her warrior assessment had been announced that she wouldn’t be able to make a clean kill if her prey was to be a bird, which could easily escape, or a rabbit she wouldn’t be able to keep pace with. So she had decided her best bet was to wait, no matter how long it took Dovepaw was prepared to wait it out until something swam by she could spear out of the water. As focused on the important task at hand as she was boredom soon began to creep up on her like a snake ready to pounce on it’s prey, her mind began to wander to different ways the night could go, what if I take too long to make a kill? she wondered, is there a limit to how long it has to take, I know I have to make a clean kill but I was never really told anything about timing. If I fail what will it mean to me? What will my family think? What will I do if I'm unsuccessful? I don't want to become a molly, at least not now if ever. So I won't fail, she told herself fiercely, there's no way you're failing today, you're Dovepaw, you get through this!

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and refocused on the river, despite the light growing dimmer with each passing moment Dovepaw could still see a tail length or so into the water. The last of the light was reflecting off the river in places, turning it a yellowy gold in some places and an orange colour in others. She took a deep breath in and looked quickly back to Smallfeather, the she-cat was still watching Dovepaw thank starclan she’s patient but I think the river might be a little deep here and we haven’t gone far, maybe I keep going and try spot a shallower pool along the way?

Rising to her paws Dovepaw motioned to Smallfeather that she wanted to keep travelling and started out slowly in the direction they’d originally been heading in. She stopped every so often and went over to check for any signs of fish swimming past or the river getting shallower, for some time she came up empty, no shadows of the movement of fish or flash of scales going past in sight, she scrunched her face up in annoyance, come on where are they! She withdrew from the riverside for what felt like the hundredth time and kept walking her eyes set on the river.

After awhile the river began to narrow down a little and Dovepaw’s hopes raised, maybe? Somewhere around here? She thought excitedly. She looked around hurriedly and noticed where a rock jutted out slightly into the river, making the spot even narrower. Her ears pricked, There! If I can lean out a fish might swim past and I can slam the blade down and get it! She turned about to shout at Smallfeather to watch before remembering she can’t speak right now and nodded to her before running up towards the rock.

She stepped on the rock with one foot at first, pushing down to make sure it wasn’t one that had just lodged itself there and would hold her weight, not just dislodge and send her tumbling into the river. The rock was smooth and only slightly wet around the edges at the end where the river met it. She slid out onto the rock, deciding to get low and crouch in an attempt to make sure she wouldn’t slip. She peered in and noticed it would definitely be far easier to spear something here than where she was earlier, it was getting darker now but the light wasn’t completely gone, I can still do this she told herself, I just need to wait now. Her hands and feet shook slightly, not from the cold or from staying in the crouch too long but out of fear, even though it was easier here Dovepaw knew she had to be quick when she spotted a fish and decided to raise the makeshift spear up, ready to strike down in a heartbeat. For what felt like an age but was probably no longer than a few moments Dovepaw crouched there with the spear up, her gaze fixed only on the river, refusing to take her sight from it and determined not to leave empty handed.

A dark shadow came into her sight and almost instantly her grip on the spear tightened, in one swift movement she brought the blade down into the river with a large splash. She immediately brought it back out to find, to much relief her apprentice knife hadn’t failed her, she’d struck true and now a dead fish hung off the blade. She made her way back off the rock before sliding the fish off the blade, it wasn’t an overly large fish but it was big enough, at least she hoped it was and she took it over to Smallfeather, leaving the makeshift spear to retrieve soon. Please, please be enough Dovepaw hoped, she gave to the fish to Smallfeather and a few moments later she looked up to Dovepaw and nodded. Her heart skipped a beat, I’ve done it! I’ve passed!

Dovepaw couldn’t help but let a huge grin cross her face, I can go to the cave of stars! I can become a warrior!

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Dovepaw waited in silence; crouched low to the ground on the riverbed. The setting sun casting deep shadows all around her. Not only was she silent but her surroundings too, no wind to send the leaves shaking and no sounds of any nocturnal creatures this early in the night just yet. She was nervous, for once in her life scared that something might take advantage of two cats out at this time and suddenly attack like the dogs that had killed Pineheart. She squinted into the river with impatience and lashed her short tail, she glanced back to where Smallfeather, Riverclan’s smith, was watching her not too far off.

In her hand she clutched a long wooden stick, she had found it almost as soon as her warrior assessment had begun and latched her apprentice’s blade tightly to the end. She gripped it like her life depended on it. And to Dovepaw in this moment it did, she had known as soon as her warrior assessment had been announced that she wouldn’t be able to make a clean kill if her prey was to be a bird, which could easily escape, or a rabbit she wouldn’t be able to keep pace with. So she had decided her best bet was to wait, no matter how long it took Dovepaw was prepared to wait it out until something swam by she could spear out of the water. As focused on the important task at hand as she was boredom soon began to creep up on her like a snake ready to pounce on it’s prey, her mind began to wander to different ways the night could go, what if I take too long to make a kill? she wondered, is there a limit to how long it has to take, I know I have to make a clean kill but I was never really told anything about timing. If I fail what will it mean to me? What will my family think? What will I do if I'm unsuccessful? I don't want to become a molly, at least not now if ever. So I won't fail, she told herself fiercely, there's no way you're failing today, you're Dovepaw, you get through this!

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and refocused on the river, despite the light growing dimmer with each passing moment Dovepaw could still see a tail length or so into the water. The last of the light was reflecting off the river in places, turning it a yellowy gold in some places and an orange colour in others. She took a deep breath in and looked quickly back to Smallfeather, the she-cat was still watching Dovepaw thank starclan she’s patient but I think the river might be a little deep here and we haven’t gone far, maybe I keep going and try spot a shallower pool along the way?

Rising to her paws Dovepaw motioned to Smallfeather that she wanted to keep travelling and started out slowly in the direction they’d originally been heading in. She stopped every so often and went over to check for any signs of fish swimming past or the river getting shallower, for some time she came up empty, no shadows of the movement of fish or flash of scales going past in sight, she scrunched her face up in annoyance, come on where are they! She withdrew from the riverside for what felt like the hundredth time and kept walking her eyes set on the river.

After awhile the river began to narrow down a little and Dovepaw’s hopes raised, maybe? Somewhere around here? She thought excitedly. She looked around hurriedly and noticed where a rock jutted out slightly into the river, making the spot even narrower. Her ears pricked, There! If I can lean out a fish might swim past and I can slam the blade down and get it! She turned about to shout at Smallfeather to watch before remembering she can’t speak right now and nodded to her before running up towards the rock.

She stepped on the rock with one foot at first, pushing down to make sure it wasn’t one that had just lodged itself there and would hold her weight, not just dislodge and send her tumbling into the river. The rock was smooth and only slightly wet around the edges at the end where the river met it. She slid out onto the rock, deciding to get low and crouch in an attempt to make sure she wouldn’t slip. She peered in and noticed it would definitely be far easier to spear something here than where she was earlier, it was getting darker now but the light wasn’t completely gone, I can still do this she told herself, I just need to wait now. Her hands and feet shook slightly, not from the cold or from staying in the crouch too long but out of fear, even though it was easier here Dovepaw knew she had to be quick when she spotted a fish and decided to raise the makeshift spear up, ready to strike down in a heartbeat. For what felt like an age but was probably no longer than a few moments Dovepaw crouched there with the spear up, her gaze fixed only on the river, refusing to take her sight from it and determined not to leave empty handed.

A dark shadow came into her sight and almost instantly her grip on the spear tightened, in one swift movement she brought the blade down into the river with a large splash. She immediately brought it back out to find, to much relief her apprentice knife hadn’t failed her, she’d struck true and now a dead fish hung off the blade. She made her way back off the rock before sliding the fish off the blade, it wasn’t an overly large fish but it was big enough, at least she hoped it was and she took it over to Smallfeather, leaving the makeshift spear to retrieve soon. Please, please be enough Dovepaw hoped, she gave to the fish to Smallfeather and a few moments later she looked up to Dovepaw and nodded. Her heart skipped a beat, I’ve done it! I’ve passed!

Dovepaw couldn’t help but let a huge grin cross her face, I can go to the cave of stars! I can become a warrior!