Bluestar's Prophecy/Chapter 10

Chapter Summary
Bluepaw's PoV
 * Several moons have passed since the battle with WindClan and Moonflower's death, and it is now leaf-bare. Bluepaw's first mentor, Stonepelt, was forced to retire after a shoulder injury he received during the battle did not heal, and she is assigned Sunfall to replace him. Leopardfoot and Patchpelt have been made warriors, while Thistlepaw, Rosepaw, Sweetpaw, Lionpaw, and Goldenpaw have all been apprenticed. Bluepaw goes out hunting with her new mentor Sunfall, as well as Snowpaw, Sparrowpelt, and Lionpaw. She tries to catch a squirrel, but it is too quick for her and makes it up a tree before she can get to it. She becomes frustrated after this failure, and Sunfall tries to reassure her by saying that prey is always going to be faster on thick snow because it supports their weight. Bluepaw thinks that this fact is obvious, and wishes that she still had Stonepelt as her mentor because he never treated her like a mouse-brain.


 * With the hunting patrol not having much luck, Snowpaw loudly calls out that she has an idea for getting the prey out of their burrows. Bluepaw sarcastically asks if she's going to do this by yelling to them to come out, and thinks that the white-furred apprentice has probably scared away anything that might be out of its nest. Lionpaw, however, tells Bluepaw not to be grumpy and reminds her that her sister has good ideas. He then adds that he loves snowy days, to which the blue-gray she-cat growls that he loves everything. Bluepaw recalls how impossible it has been to get any sleep in the apprentices' den since the younger cats moved in, because they are always purring, fidgeting, and doing silly things. Bluepaw mentally calls a sister a traitor because even she has been happier lately, believing that she has forgotten about Moonflower. The blue-gray apprentice envies how Leopardfoot and Patchpelt get to sleep in peace in the warriors' den in peace.


 * Snowpaw's suggested plan is to use nuts or seeds to lure the prey out of its burrows. Bluepaw, rolling her eyes, asks her sister if she has brought any with her on the hunt. The white she-cat responds that she thought they could use the cob nuts that Goosefeather uses for ointment the next time they go to hunt. Bluepaw snaps that the speckled gray tom would never let them use his medicine supplies for hunting, but Snowpaw points out that they'd only use a few and that they would catch the prey before it could eat the nuts. Sparrowpelt and Sunfall are supportive of the white she-cat's plan, saying that it is a clever idea that could work. Bluepaw, furious, growls that they probably think Snowpaw would have caught the squirrel she missed and then she stalks off. Snowpaw, seeing the blue-gray she-cat go, apologizes for her behavior and comments that she is just in one of her moods. Bluepaw is further infuriated by how Snowpaw had apologized for her, thinking that the white she-cat is not her mother.


 * Bluepaw, still running off and stewing in her anger, comes across a fox burrow. Feeling angry enough to take on a whole fox family, she makes her way into the den. Sunfall, however, catches up with her and demands to know if she can't smell the fox scent, adding that there's probably several down in the den waiting for some mouse-brain like her to come along and give them an easy meal. Bluepaw stares at him defiantly, and the ThunderClan deputy questions whether she really thinks she is ready to take on a fox family. She doesn't respond, but allows the ginger tabby to lead her away from the den.


 * Bluepaw starts to head back towards camp, but her mentor stops her, saying that he wants to have a talk with her. He asks her why she is acting the way she is, and Bluepaw snaps that she is just cold and hungry. Sunfall argues that everyone is the Clan is cold and hungry, but that they aren't being rude and reckless. Bluepaw protests that she is just having a bad day, to which the ginger tabby growls that it seems as if every day is a bad day with her. He elaborates on this point, saying that when her Clan needs her the most to hunt, she does not even try. Sunfall continues that she doesn't give any effort towards her apprentice training and he sometimes feels as if he is wasting his time mentoring her. He finishes that her Clanmates have started to avoid her because she is so bad-tempered. Bluepaw, stung by her mentor's words, stammers that she feels as if everything has gone wrong. Sunfall realizes that she must still be grieving for her mother's death, and tries to assure her that Moonflower had died bravely defending her Clan like a warrior, doing what she thought was what StarClan had willed. He adds that the silver-gray queen would want Bluepaw to brave and do her duty like she did. The ginger-furred deputy finishes that his apprentice needs to put Moonflower's death behind her and concentrate more on her training. Bluepaw silently vows to do better on her training, but also not to forget her mother.


 * Sunfall decides to let Bluepaw comes to the Gathering, although the ThunderClan deputy remarks that she does not deserve such an honor. The blue-gray she-cat mutters that they shouldn't bother to go to the Gathering at all, thinking of how the other Clans have mocked them ever since their "cowardly" attack on WindClan and destruction of their medicine supplies. Sunfall says that they should just let the other Clans sneer for now, because the attack will soon be forgotten when something new happens. Bluepaw follows him back to camp. She realizes that, although Stormtail has ignored her ever since Moonflower's death, she can still make her mother proud as the silver-gray she-cat watches her from StarClan. She vows to be just a brave, loyal, and committed as Moonflower was, and that she will try her hardest for her Clan from now on.