Eaglepaw's sleep was fitful and restless. She dreamt of the training practice over and over again, and each time she watched Swirlpaw press his paw onto her chest in cold triumph. She woke at random several times during the night. Finally, dawn broke and allowed the clan to rise with it. Eaglepaw and most of the other cats crowded around a tan cat with dark speckles along his back as he gave orders.

      "Berrytang! Owlfang! Are you feeling well enough to patrol today?" Tendriltail, the deputy, called. Eaglepaw and Buzzardpaw's mentors lifted their heads at the sound. They nodded and rose to their paws. "Take your apprentices and Lakefur to the Thunderclan border." He ordered. The cats nodded grouped together.

      "Owlfang! Yesterday I beat Hollowpaw in a fight!" Buzzardpaw meowed to her mentor. Eaglepaw clung to Berrytang's side, hoping to hide in her own mentor's short cream fur. Berrytang was an old friend of her mother and treated Eaglepaw kindly. The five trotted to the exit and left Tendriltail to organize the rest of the cats when Slatestar's mew stopped them.

      "Wait! We have a new warrior to make! Have you forgotten?" The muscular gray tom beckoned with his tail for Eaglepaw's patrol to turn. Tendriltail looked bewildered.

      "I-I'm sorry, Slatestar. I don't know what got into me." The deputy shook his head. Eaglepaw watched curiously as he awkwardly picked his way to the base of the tallrock. Tendriltail was smart, and Slatestar trusted him as far as the clan knew. Slatestar must have told Tendriltail about the ceremony, so why had the deputy been so quick to forget? 

      "No matter, Tendriltail. We all make mistakes." Slatestar rested his tail tip on his deputies shoulder as he made his way to the Tallrock. "Let all cats old enough to chase rabbits gather beneath the tallrock for a clan meeting!" His commanding mew coaxed out even the sleepy elders and the clans only queen. Cloverpaw shone like the sun itself beside her clanmates. Her cream colored fur was sleek and well groomed. When the rest of the clan sat, she rose.

       Slatestar waited until the clan was quiet, then spoke the ancient words of a warriors ceremony. He raised his head to the sky and called, "I, Slatestar, leader of Windclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." Eaglepaw looked over to her sister to find her gaze fixed intently on Cloverpaw. She was working the ground beneath her paws absentmindedly, tearing at the long grasses beneath them. 

      "What's wrong?" Eaglepaw hissed under her breath. "Did she place a thorn in your nest or something?" Buzzardpaw shook her head slightly. That was Eaglepaw's only indication her sister had heard.

       Slatestar continued. "Cloverpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

       Cloverpaw's eyes met her leaders with emmence pride. "I do!" She called. Her voice burst with energy and excitement. The day before, she had sounded nonchalant and cool. But now, with the prospect of being a warrior mere seconds away, even she sounded completely kit-like.

      Slatestar dipped his head. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name! Cloverpaw, from this moment you will be known as Cloverstrike.  StarClan honors your excellent skill in battle and your willingness to teach others, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan!" His mew rang out and seemed to reach Silverpelt itself. The dawn light illuminated Cloverpaw's fur in such a way she seemed to glow with a glorious golden light. 

      The clan began to call out her name. Eaglepaw was sure every cat around the lake could hear the yowls of welcome. "Cloverstrike! Cloverstrike!" Every cat in the camp proudly chanted the new warriors name. Every cat except Buzzardpaw. Her dark green eyes could have scared off a pack of dogs. They bore into Cloverstrike's pelt with such a ferocity Eaglepaw was worried they would burn a hole in the cream cats pelt. 

      Buzzardpaw rose stiffly. She stalked to the camp exit and flopped to the ground. Eaglepaw waited for the meeting to break up, but kept a watchful eye on her sister. Berrytang and Owlfang met with them, quickly joined by Lakefur. 

       Honestly, what's wrong?" Eaglepaw asked her sister. "What did Cloverstrike do to you?" 

       Buzzardpaw heaved a sigh. "It's nothing. I just want to be a warrior so badly!"

      "Pace yourself. We've only been apprentices for a few days!" Eaglepaw chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

       Buzzardpaw leaned in. "What do you think Slatestar will say about us? You know, about Starclan honoring our virtues or whatever." Eaglepaw was dumbfounded. Wasn't Buzzardpaw rushing this a little bit? Eaglepaw hardly felt ready to leave the camp, much less become a warrior.

      "That I'm a useless load of hare-dung." Eaglepaw replied. Her voice mocked glumness, but inside she really felt it. Buzzardpaw snorted and shook her head.

      Owlfang cut in abruptly. "Shouldn't we be heading out?" His words were clipped and clearly annoyed at the she-cats chatter.  Lakefur nodded in agreement. Berrytang sighed and pointed her tail out of camp. The cats filed out of the hollow at a brisk pace. When they were about halfway to the Thunderclan border, a rabbit streaked past the group. Eaglepaw's instinct kicked in almost instantly.

       Eaglepaw pelted after it like a bolt of lightning. Without thinking of the group she chased it for a good way before gaining any real distance. Her breath came in short ragged gasps now. Her chest hurt with the strain. This was strange. Windclan cats were supposed to be able to run faster, longer, than any cat!  She was a fox length away from the rabbit when Eaglepaw saw two cats on the horizon. I can't lose it now!  She thought. 

      Eaglepaw gave a great thrust of her hind legs and slammed down with her claws. She heard a squeal of pain as the creature stumbled to the ground. Scarlet drops of blood sprayed across Eaglepaw's muzzled and chest. It was a strange feeling, blood on ones claws, even if it was just prey. Eaglepaw felt uncomfortable and tried to shake it off. Despite her best efforts it did not clear. Suddenly Eaglepaw realized that she has just caught her first piece of prey. She stopped to ponder the moment. It was good to finally have been useful to her clan, yet she felt numb to the normal excitement apprentices normally feel. She was still confused about her aching lungs. Eaglepaw looked up to see the silhouettes of the two cats turn toward her. She could now see them as Slatestar and Warblesky, the medicine cat. Eaglepaw saw them with their heads close together. She heard Slatestar say something.

      "-why I wanted the ceremony so early. These dreams are getting out of control. I must talk to Starclan. I was afraid if I held it at sunhigh I might not make it." Eaglepaw was puzzled. What dreams was Slatestar talking about?

Heyo! Chapter three! Wow! It's finally here! So I wanted to say that you guys might wanna go back and reread the hunting scene in the first chapter because I forgot to add something and will be adding it in soon. Like always, feel free to point out typos or errors in my grammar. Thanks for a hundred by the way! If you guys want your OC drawn let me know! I have nine slots left soooo yeah.

                                                                                            -Wowul