Lost Stars

For a few heartbeats Bristlepaw was so relieved that she nearly forgot how cold she was. But after she had followed the scent around a bramble thicket and across a clearing, she realized that she had reached the stream that formed the WindClan border. And the scent of vole—so close now that Bristlepaw could almost taste the succulent flesh—was coming from the opposite side.

“Fox dung!” she muttered.

Bristlepaw stood on the bank of the stream, gazing across into WindClan territory. She was almost sure that the vole must be hiding under a hawthorn bush that overhung the icy surface of the water.

Her pads itching with indecision, Bristlepaw glanced swiftly around. There was no sign of Rosepetal, and no movement on the WindClan side of the border. She could pick up the mingled scents of both Clans’ border markers, but no fresh WindClan scent. With the stream frozen, she could dart across in a couple of heartbeats, catch the vole, and be back in her own territory before any cat spotted her.

But even though hunger and anxiety about her assessment were urging her on, Bristlepaw hesitated. Stealing prey from another Clan was a serious violation of the warrior code. Besides, even if she made her catch and returned undetected, she would still be leaving her scent on the WindClan side of the border. If a WindClan patrol picked it up, it would lead to conflict with ThunderClan, and no cat wanted that, especially in such a harsh leaf-bare.

At the same time, Bristlepaw wondered what it would mean for her assessment if she returned to camp empty-pawed. Will Rosepetal fail me? Will I have to do my whole apprenticeship all over again?

Bristlepaw stood on the bank of the stream for an agonizingly long time, trying to make up her mind. But eventually one thing became clear to her: She couldn’t pass her assessment by breaking the warrior code. It would be dishonorable, and an insult to Rosepetal, who hadn’t trained her to break the rules.

At last, sighing deeply, Bristlepaw turned away. As she left the border stream behind her, Rosepetal stepped out from behind a clump of bracken and stood quietly waiting for her.

Oh, StarClan! She was watching me all the time!

Moving as quickly and quietly as she could, Bristlepaw headed for her mentor and halted at Rosepetal’s side.

“Well done,” Rosepetal mewed. “Even though you were disappointed, and you’d given up on finding prey, you still were smart enough to stay quiet, in case there happened to be prey nearby. That shows great instincts—the kind of instincts ThunderClan needs in its warriors.”

As her mentor spoke, Bristlepaw began to feel more hopeful. Maybe this hasn’t been such a disaster after all!

“Besides that,” Rosepetal went on, “you didn’t give way to temptation and cross the border, even though you’re hungry, and even though this is your warrior assessment. You showed honesty and respect for the warrior code.”

Bristlepaw let out a happy purr. “Does that mean I passed?”

She watched Rosepetal as her mentor stood still, blinking thoughtfully, making Bristlepaw’s pads tingle with hope. Then, regretfully, Rosepetal shook her head. “I’m sorry, but no. You haven’t done anything wrong, Bristlepaw, but I can’t pass you this time, not without watching you hunt and actually capture prey. We’ll try again soon, when the air is warmer and the prey isn’t hiding.”

A hard lump formed in Bristlepaw’s belly, colder than the icy wind, but she managed to dip her head respectfully. “I understand,” she choked out.

Rosepetal stretched out her neck and touched her nose gently to her apprentice’s ear. “Let’s go back to camp,” she meowed, “and find you something from the fresh-kill pile.”

Bristlepaw followed her, holding her head high and struggling not to let her disappointment show. I failed for the first time in my life—and it wasn’t my fault! She wondered what she would say to her littermates, after they had been so encouraging, sure she would return to camp a warrior. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice movement ahead of her until Stemleaf bounded up to her and flicked her shoulder with his tail.

“Hey, how’s our new warrior?” he asked.

Bristlepaw had thought it wasn’t possible to feel any worse, but at the orange-and-white tom’s friendly greeting she thought her heart was going to burst. She couldn’t find words to answer him.

“Bristlepaw didn’t pass,” Rosepetal told Stemleaf. “She did everything right, but there just wasn’t any prey to be had.”

“That’s really bad luck.” Stemleaf blinked sympathetically at Bristlepaw. “But don’t worry. It’s just this StarClan-cursed snow. You’ll pass easily once the warmer weather comes.”