A Rouge Clanborn - The Silver Storm - A Warriors Fanfiction

Chapter 16

Dawn spat some chewed up leaves onto Crow's shoulder and told her to lay back. They were recovering well from the battle and Dawn was impressed by her kits' skills, especially Frost.

"Goodnight, my loves," she purred.

The others mewed a good night and Dawn fell back against her moss and closed her eyes. She opened them again to find herself in a beautiful meadow with bees buzzing around and flowers growing everywhere.

"Where am I?" she voiced.

"Hello," said a mythical voice.

Two cats approached her, little stars floating above and around their fur. One, a silver she-cat with green eyes, Dawn didn't recognize, but the other, a golden tabby with yellow eyes, was Goldenstripe!

"Goldenstripe!" Dawn cried. "Wait - are you dead?!"

Goldenstripe bowed her head. "Greencough broke out in the camp."

"Oh no," Dawn mewed. "Is everyone okay?"

"Ashstar lost a life, and Redfoot almost died, but other than that, it's fine."

Dawn sat down. "Why are you here?"

The silver cat's eyes blazed with urgency. "I'm Silverblaze," she mewed. "Your Clan will be under attack very soon, the same attack that happened to LeafClan, Ivy is from there."

Another cat approached her.

"Ivy!" Dawn yowled and ran to greet her best friend.

"Dawn! How are my kits!" the silver tabby asked.

"They're fine, getting along well," Dawn replied. "Silverblaze, what can I do to help my Clan?"

"Oh, Dawnheart, you must come back with Crowfoot and your kits, and warn them!"

Dawn shook her head. "First, my name is Dawn. And second, did you even see the attack? It was cruel!"

Goldenshine shook her head. "What matters more, the rogues attacking and overpowering the Clans or your pride? You have to go as soon as you can!"

Dawn growled. "It's not just my pride! It's our and our kits' safety!"

Goldenshine glared at Dawn, until the calico dropped her gaze.

"Fine, we'll go."

Dawn blinked open her eyes and immediately woke Crow.

"I had a dream from StarClan! We have to go home!" she mewed.

Crow looked skeptical. "Are you sure? But what about the attack?"

Dawn shook her head. "Remember how I said that I will only go if I get a dream from StarClan saying it's the right thing to do?"

Crow nodded. "We'd better prepare ourselves and the kits, especially Frost," she mewed.

"Always practical," Dawn joked, flicking her mate's ear with the tip of her tail, rose and turned to the kits.

The six cats traveled for what seemed like forever, stopping every night to rest in the nearest shelter. They hunted every morning and afternoon, and soon, arrived at their destination.

"Are you ready?" Dawn asked Paw, who was closest to her. She nodded, and the six of them stepped over the SilverClan markings.

Dawn was uneasy, but was still overjoyed at seeing her territory. They traveled deeper into the forest, and suddenly, Daisy's fur rose on her spine. Paw sniffed the air, Birch crouched down, and Frost swished his tail slowly. Dawn saw a patrol of Riverstorm, Lightningheart, Whitestorm, and Feathershine picking their way to them.

"Stay still," Dawn whispered to the young cats. "And don't act tough." Crow copied what the calico had said into paw signals for Frost, and they crouched down as the SilverClan cats drew closer.

Suddenly, Riverstorm sniffed the air. "Dawn! Crow!" he cried, and hurtled forward. The patrol raced after him. Riverstorm skidded to a halt next to them, relief in his eyes.

"You've come home," he purred, touching noses with Dawn and Crow in turn.

Crow's fur spiked a little, but she said nothing.

"And you must be...." Riverstorm started, gazing down at the younger cats.

"Birch," Birch said.

"Daisy."

"Paw."

Frost signed out his name to Riverstorm, who looked very confused.

"And that's Frost," Dawn finished.

Riverstorm nodded. "Nice to meet you."

They followed the patrol to the camp, and every cat stopped what they were doing and crowded around the arriving cats. Ashstar herself tried to touch noses with Dawn but the calico jerked away. Regret in her eyes, Ashstar jumped onto the boulder.

"I have good news!" she yowled. "Dawnheart and Crowfoot have returned!"

The crowd was silent except for a few yowls of greeting from their family.

Dawn jumped onto the boulder, shoving Ashstar to the side. The tabby hissed under her breath but said nothing. "First, it's Dawn and Crow now. Second, we have indeed returned, but we are still very unhappy about how we were treated, just because we were different," Dawn mewed, trying to keep the growl out of her voice.

Ashstar nodded, and Dawn jumped down. "You four, come here," she mewed, gazing at Dawn's kits.

Dawn started forward to interrupt, but Crow held her back.

"What's your name?"

Daisy held her paw up stiffly. "Daisy, and that's Birch, Frost, and Paw in turn."

"Alright," Ashstar mewed. "Daisy, you will now be known as Daisypaw-"

"Wait!" Dawn cried. A gasp went up, but she ignored it. "I want to talk to my kits before this."

She went over to them. "Do you want different names?" she whispered, aware of the stares that her Clanmates gave her.

Birch shook his head. "I am honoring my father with the name Ivy gave me."

Daisy nodded. "I want to! It would be cool!" she purred.

Paw shook her head. "I'll keep it."

Frost watched as Crow stomped and swished, then signaled: "I want to change my name, but Frost will still be in it."

"Ashstar, we have decided," Dawn announced.

The leader nodded. "Daisy, you will now be known as Daisypaw. Your mentor will be Breezefang. Frost, you will now be known as Frostpaw, and your mentor will be Crow. Paw, your mentor will be Hawkfeather, and Birch, you will be mentored by Sandwhisker."

"Daisypaw! Frostpaw! Birch! Paw!" The Clan yowled.

"Wait!" a cat shouted out.

All heads turned to Owlpaw, another apprentice.

"Frostpaw can't be an apprentice! He's deaf!" Owlpaw yowled, his amber eyes glaring with defiance.

Ashstar glared at him. "Wasn't the lesson of all of this not to single out those who are different?" the leader asked. "To be quite frank," the tabby she-cat continued. "Some of our amazing warriors weren't able to fight Frostpaw. He bravely protected his siblings in a time of danger, and I can't wait to see how he hunts!"

Owlpaw dropped his head in shame. "Sorry, Ashstar," he mewed, his ears flattening.

Frostpaw wandered over to Crow, who took him to Maplecloud.

Crow stamped out: "This is Maplecloud. She's deaf, just like you, so you both should know the signals. Have fun!" She left him there and returned to Dawn.

They chuckled as she watched the two try and understand each other's language.

"That's it, then?" Dawn sighed, twinning her tail with her mate's. "We've come home."

Crow leaned into the calico as they watched silently over the SilverClan camp.