I Dare You

The sun peeked through the clouds, it's light golden light gloriously stretching down to the RippleClan camp below. The brook outside the camp's barrier shone a light blue and white, reflecting the sky and trees above it. Blackpaw lay restlessly in his nest, his dark tail flicking back and forth. Willowpaw and Reedpaw lay beside him, with Icepaw and Shiverpaw chatting in the back of the den.

The brambles of the apprentices den shook as a light breeze barged through, the brown tendrils dappled with dark green leaves shook violently, as if fretting like a kit does when a mother does not ween their milk to them. Blackpaw sat up straighter, his amber gaze scanning the lifeless camp before them.

"Were not going out training today...our mentors wanted time to rest," Willowpaw breathed, her gray ears dropping.

Reedpaw snorted from her position on the other side of Blackpaw. "Their just lazy. Why, when I'm a warrior, I'll never leave my apprentice a beautiful day without training." she growled, her tail smacking against them moss before it sprung back to it's position.

Blackpaw sighed. "Flameflick, Ambertail and Rosewing were tired after Flameclaw put them on the night patrol. You can't honestly say it's all their fault, you know," he told Reedpaw.

The gray she-cat's deep eyes brightened. "Hey! I've got an idea!" she mewed, her eyes flicking side ways to ensure that Shiverpaw and Icepaw didn't hear.

Willowpaw moved close to Blackpaw so she could hear. "What?" she asked, her pelt mixing in with Blackpaw's.

Reedpaw's lips formed a wide, sneaky grin. "How about we take ourselves out training? We'll show our mentors that we are far more better than they are at mentoring! And who knows; maybe Applestar might make us warriors!" Reedpaw's eyes were wide.

A stab of wonder hit Blackpaw. "Do....do you think we can pull it off?" he asked.

Willowpaw flicked him over the ear with her tail. "Of course, mousebrain! We're smart!" she purred.

Blackpaw felt both she-cats eyes on him. He was the last one to choose if they should do it or not. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. Let's do it," he agreed. Even though a small voice in the back of his head screamed no and that they'll get into so much trouble for doing it, he ignored it, and smiled.

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"Okay...I dare Blackpaw to climb to the top of that tree!" Willowpaw grinned, her sharp white teeth gleaming in the sunlight.

Blackpaw gulped as he looked up a tall beech tree, the green leaves shimmering in the sunlight. "Aw, come on Willowpaw! You always give out the scariest dares!" he growled. Willowpaw still had that dumb grin on her face, her head going back to fully see the hight of the tree.

"Come on, Blackpaw! Or are you a frightened mouse?" Reedpaw teased, her pelt glimmering in the sunlight.

The three apprentices had completely abandoned their idea to go out training by themselves, now playing dares on each other. Reedpaw had to toss a stone at a bird, Willowpaw had to roll down a small hill, and now Blackpaw had to climb the tall tree.

Hooking his claws into the rough bark, he hauled himself up to the lowest branch, shaking. The leaves rustled as the branch creaked. Blackpaw stuck his tongue out a Reedpaw, who was mimicking his shaking frame. Gripping his paws around the next highest branch, he hauled himself up further. The sunlight hit his eyes, making him narrow them to block it out.

After many hauls up the branches and trunk of the tree, he finally found himself at the top, standing on his hind legs while placing his front paws at the tip of the tree. Looking down at the amazed Reedpaw and Willowpaw, he grinned at their defeat.

"Ha! Told you I could do it!" he hissed playfully, watching their amazed looks turn into a playfully challenge.

"Oh yeah? Well, come down here so that you can give Reedpaw her dare!" Willowpaw called, her voice faintly rustling the leaves.

Blackpaw gulped again as he looked down the tree, before taking his forepaws off of the tip of the tree. The way down was way more scarier than the trip up. Suddenly, his forepaws lost grip, slipping away from the bark. His chest slammed into the branch, his tail smacking against his face. Blackpaw clung onto the branch with his paws, his claws digging into the bark. Cracks and creaking noise flooded into his ear as the branch suddenly snapped.

Blackpaw leaped from the falling branch, and to the trunk of the tree. His claws easily found their grip, and he was safe. His heart was beating rapidly. Then he remembered the falling branch, which was falling straight down to Willowpaw and Reedpaw!

"Guys! Look out!" he called out. But it was too late as a shriek sliced through the air, followed by muffled silence after the branch fell to the ground.

"Reedpaw!" Willowpaw cried in agony and despair. Blackpaw's eyes nearly shot from his head. Quickly, the apprentice climbed down the tree, and his paws landed to the grass with a soft thud. Blackpaw bounded to the horrified Willowpaw.

Blood leaked from beneath the fallen cedar branch, and only Reedpaw's tail-tip could be seen.

"She's.....dead..."

Sorry, Holly Lives On. But you were inactive, so I killed off Reedpaw. If you remain inactive, I'll kill Flameflick too. Sorry, but that's the way it is.