Chapter Four: Hawks in the Sky That night, Moonpaw met with Flamepaw. “Hey, where are you going?” asked Sparkpaw, her best friend. “Yeah, aren’t you supposed to be asleep?” added her brother, Berrypaw. “Um… I was just going to make dirt!” said Moonpaw nervously. She scampered off. Flamepaw was waiting. “Hello,” she said. “Here’s your herb.” She nudged some berries toward her. “Thank you,” said Moonpaw, wrapping the berries in a leaf sack. “I must get going now. Good-bye!” She put the berries in a piece of prey and woke Nightpaw. “Nightpaw,” she whispered. “Here. I got you some prey.” Nightpaw looked puzzled but nodded. “Thanks,” he said. He bit the prey and then instantly looked at her differently. The cure had worked! “I never stopped to realize how pretty you are,” he mumbled. Moonpaw said, “Thank you!” “We should go hunting tomorrow,” he suggested. “Whoever catches more prey wins!” Moonpaw realized the sun was rising. “We can do that now, can’t we?” she challenged. “Oh, yes, we could!” Nightpaw’s eyes lit up. They ran outside of the camp and lined up. “Ready…. Set… Go!” cried Moonpaw. They took off. Moonpaw smelled a familiar scent of prey. She stalked the mouse calmly and caught it. “I got it!” she exclaimed, digging a hole and putting her mouse in it. She looked over and saw that Nightpaw’s prey stash had already 2 pieces of prey in it. Wow, she thought. He’s a fast hunter! She sniffed the air and smelled something. It was not a piece of prey. Wait. She turned around slowly. A deer. She hid in a bush. If she could catch this, Nightpaw and the game were hers. She attacked the deer suddenly. She took it by surprise, knocking it over. She knew she had the advantage now. She sliced open its neck until it stopped struggling. “Thank you, StarClan,” she gasped, adding the deer to her hole, which suddenly seemed way to small. “WHAT?” screamed Nightpaw when he saw her catch. He dropped his rabbit and ran over. “H-How did you catch that?” “I don’t know,” admitted Moonpaw honestly. “I saw it and surprised it. Then I caught it.” “You were NOT meant to be a medicine cat, that’s for sure!” Nightpaw said, still staring, awestruck, at the deer. “Maybe you’re right,” smiled Moonpaw. “To be honest it was boring.” Back at camp, Moonpaw faced Froststar with Nightpaw. “I don’t want to be a medicine cat.” “Really?” asked Froststar. “What’s all this changing around?” “I thought I’d be best at being a medicine cat, but something I did today changed my mind,” Moonpaw said, lifting her chin. “What’s that?” “She caught a deer!” yowled Nightpaw. “I put it on the fresh-kill pile!” Froststar’s eyes flew wide open. “WHAT?” she yowled, running out of her den. She looked as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. “I think it’s time to make you a warrior, Moonpaw.” Nightpaw winked. “Me too?” he asked. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Sparkpaw and Berrypaw. They’re old apprentices, now I think of it. And Hawkpaw and Streampaw too, probably,” Froststar said, lost in thought. “Okay. Let’s do this now!” Turns out ‘now’ meant ‘at the end of the day’. So while they were waiting, Nightpaw and Moonpaw used the time to make up. “I’m sorry about Hawkpaw and your sister,” said Nightpaw. “Hawkpaw’s a jerk,” agreed Moonpaw. “But Streampaw’s recovering. I know you did it for me. Thank you, in a way. It’s good to know you’re that loyal to me. Risking being exiled for me.” “Is she okay?” “She’ll be fine. Poppywhisker knows what she’s doing. She’s already gathered consciousness. I think she’ll be okay for her ceremony,” Moonpaw smiled. “Good,” said Nightpaw. Suddenly Streampaw appeared. “Hello!” she said. “I’m all healed!” “WE’RE BECOMING WARRIORS!” cried Nightpaw and Moonpaw. Streampaw stopped dead. “What?” she said. “I caught a deer and persuaded Froststar.” “What the Dark Forest?” cried Streampaw, checking out the deer. “Thank you!” Ch 5: Ch 4: Ch 1:
