"I'm sorry, Hazelpaw."

"W-wait, Rippleslash, what are you-"

The small apprentice shrunk back as the large tom stalked towards her, his glistening claws unsheathed. A small mewl escaped Hazelpaw's lips as she stumbled backwards, putting as much distance between her and the bloodthirsty warrior.

"I won't tell anyone. I promise!" Hazelpaw felt fear creep into her paws as she watched Rippleslash snarl in disbelief. The poor apprentice was backed up against a tree, life flashing infront of her eyes.

Why me?

She had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time-maybe if she hadn't stayed after the battle, things would be different...

"You saw me kill Sandpelt." Rippleslash hissed, his amber eyes burning with anger. "You little brat-" Suddenly, he lashed out, striking Hazelpaw across the eye. The apprentice's face suddenly burned, and she could feel the warm blood trickling down her face. She let out a shocked squeal, the agonizing pain causing her to collapse onto the grassy earth.

This is how it ends.
Cornered, nowhere to run...

Hazelpaw thought for a moment, running over her decisions. She was an experienced apprentice-This was supposed to be her assessment, after all. However, she knew that Rippleslash was also very experienced, and could easily pin her to the ground without effort. Running would also be futile, as the warrior was swift, while the stocky apprentice could barely even keep up with a kit.

StarClan, please.
Help me.

"Say hello to Sandpelt, would you?" Rippleslash laughed. Hazelpaw watched in horror as he raised his paw, his claws glinting in the soft sunlight. Her heart began to beat faster and faster with each passing moment, her eyes fixed on her killer's claws.

Goodbye.

"HAZELPAW!"

The apprentice snapped her head up to see an orange blur leap over her head. The blur tackled Rippleslash, pinning him to the ground with a low hiss.

"Flamefeather!" Joy and relief filled Hazelpaw's heart. Her mentor, Flamefeather, a large, fire-colored tabby stood over Rippleslash, her claws cutting into his greyfur.

"Oh, Hazelpaw, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner! Snowstar needed to talk, and I-"

"Don't worry." The tortoiseshell apprentice reassured. "I-I'm ok." The relief washed over her body, numbing the stinging cut running across her ear. Flamefeather had come to save her-everything was ok now.

Wait.
Did I pass my assement?

"Good job on your hunting, and the fighting you practiced on me was excellent." Flamefeather mewed, gazing pridefully at her apprentice. "I think that you're ready to become a warrior."

At those words, pride clouded Hazelpaw's mind, and she felt the warm drops of praise rain down on her fur, sending a tingly feeling through her paws. She glanced smugly at Rippleslash, before turning back to her mentor.

"Go back and ask Willowwind for reinforcements." Flamefeather purred. Before her apprentice slipped into the trees, she continued.

"Oh, and tell Snowstar that you're a warrior now."

A/N-This next bit just describes Lionfang and Hazelflight, and also introduces a rouge. It's not important, but I would reccomend reading it anyways.
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The bold, silver moon hung high in the deep blue sky, illuminating the night. Below, curled in their nests, lay a Clan of cats. All asleep, they rested peacefully under the moon's soft glow, two sat in a silent vigil. Hazelpaw, now known as Hazelflight, was a bob-tailed she-cat with a light brown coat, accompanied by a few dark brown splotches, with a large splotch around her left eye. Both of her eyes were a vibrant green, which matched perfectly with her coat. The second cat, Lionfang, was a behemoth, muscular cat with a sandy coat and amber eyes. Hazelflight had taken her spot on a thick branch high up in an oak tree, while Lionfang had found a spot for herself on top of the branch-pile. Both had a keen view of the camp, which was a cluster of small caves and overhangs surrounding a pond, nestled at the bottom of a stream. The stream came from a larger lake, which flowed down from the lake, through a tunnel under the Thunderpath, and into the pond, where it then gushed into a series of larger pools. The two cats, almost half asleep, were recounting their days as kits and apprentices.
As the moon sunk into the horizon, Hazelflight could see that daybreak was only about an hour away, and then she could finally get some rest, probably choosing to nap on a flat oak tree branch. Hazelflight had never really been a fan of the whole "swimming" and "walking" concept- instead, she preferred climbing trees and jumping from branch to branch. This, along with her bob tail, had been what set her apart from the rest of the DawnClan, or any other Clan, for that matter. No other cat could climb trees as she could, giving Hazelflight the upper paw. To be fair, she didn't do so well when it came to swimming, which was a practiced skill in the Clan. For one, she was barely able to stay afloat, and refused to go into the deeper parts of the pond, unlike the rest of the Clan cats, who were used to the cold, murky waters.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Hazelflights ears perked up and her eyes narrowed, scanning the camp for danger. It was only when she looked over at Lionfang, who was stalking toward the tunnel under the Thunderpath, that she saw the small, orange and black shape emerge from the shadows, it's tail between its legs. With a swift movement, Lionfang had the small cat clutched in her jaws, just pressing hard enough so she could carry the writing ball of fur. Hopping down from the tree, Hazelflight slowly approached Lionfang. However, Lionfang stopped her, shaking he head and heading back toward the stick pile. Hazelflight watched with interest as she placed the cat in a small opening, and then resumed her post.

As she resumed her spot in the tree, Hazelflight couldn't help but wonder about the small cat.
Could it have been another Clan cat? Maybe a kit? She thought to herself. As she mused over the mysterious cat, her emerald green eyes focused on the horizon. The golden sun was just peeking through the tops of the rolling hills, casting a glow across the valley. As the sun continued to rise, Hazelflight could hear the rest of the Clan waking up, along with the arrival of the night patrols.
I wonder when Lionfang will tell them about the cat? She thought, making her way down the rough bark.
She could only imagine what the rest of the Clan would think