The Trial - Ch6

Instructions

CHAPTER 6: No. No, no, no. /I/ couldn't participate in the Trial! No way! I barely knew anything. I couldn't do anything. I was weak and a coward. I couldn't even stand up to Nightpaw, for StarClan's sake! How could I participate in the Trial?! And yet - And yet - If it was me, at least it wasn't Kitepaw, right? But - but it couldn’t be me! I’d never be able to survive. But - “Just surrender!” Cornpaw meowed in annoyance. “Then you won’t have to do the Trial and you’ll stop being such a worrier!” "That's actually a really good idea." I stared at my sister in wonder. Then I had a thought. "But, if I surrender - someone else will have to take my place! You - or Kitepaw!" Cornpaw's eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of that." "So what should I DO?!" I was beginning to get a but desperate. "I'm a coward - I'll never be able to survive the Trial!" "You are /not/ a coward!" Cornpaw looked shocked. "Yes I am. Do you remember our first battle, Cornpaw? Remember what you did? You fought a warrior trying to get into the nursery and hurt our brother. Remember what /I/ did? I /hid/!" "Wheatpaw. Listen. If you were a coward, you'd be going and telling Torrenstar that you wanted to surrender right this second, never mind who takes your place. That would be a coward move." "But what if the reason I'm not surrendering is that I'm too cowardly to live with the guilt I'd feel if Kitepaw had to participate?" Cornpaw's claws shot out. "For the last /time/, Wheatpaw, you're /not/ a - " "Could you two please stop jabbering? /Some/ of us are trying to relax," a familiar voice interrupted. "And by the way, Wheatpaw, you're absolutely right. You are completely a coward." Cornpaw sprung to her paws. Nightpaw was standing just opposite us, a smirk on her face. "Leave us alone, Nightmare! Call my brother a coward again and you'll get something serious to think about," my sister threatened. Nightpaw shrugged. "I'm simply stating the truth." Then, ignoring Cornpaw's hiss, she spun round to me and snarled, "Listen, you mouseheart. I'm warning you now - if you mess up my chances in the Trial, we'll see if you're as 'brave' as your sister thinks." Then, before I could speak, or even think, she disappeared. I could see my sister positively trembling with supressed rage. "Who does that spiteful foxheart think she is? She has no right to talk to you like that! Wheatpaw, how can you let her treat you like that?" "I've told you. I don't want any trouble," I replied. "/She's/ the trouble. Honestly!" Cornpaw turned to me. "You have to prove you're just as good as she is, Wheatpaw. You have to show her you're just as brave and clever as she is - braver, even." I glanced sideways at her. "What do you mean?" "Isn't it obvious? Win the Trial." I almost choked. "So - so you want me to risk my life - in order to /fuel your rivalry with Nightpaw/?!" "No! That's not what I meant. Wheatpaw - you're an incredibly brave and kind and determined tom. Don't try to deny it. And I want you to participate in the Trial in order to prove that - to your Clanmates, to Nightpaw... and to yourself." "But what about..." I trailed off. There was no point in arguing with my sister when she was thinking like this. "Fine. Fine, fine, fine. I'll do it." “What?” Cornpaw stared at me. “I’ll do it. I’ll participate in the Trial,” I meowed, wondering at the same time whether I was making a terrible mistake. Cornpaw, however, was delighted. “I knew it! I told you you weren’t a coward! See, I’m always right!” I sighed. /I know I’m going to regret this./ - END