Warrior Cats: Dawnheart's Journey

chapter three

Dawnheart's kits wailed as the two-she cats desperately tried to grab them. 

"Children! Please settle down!" Dovefur hissed, struggling to successfully grab Emberkit. 

"We can walk just fine!" Emberkit protested, squirming to get free. 

"Oh keep quiet! We need to leave, and you're making this much more difficult than it needs to be," Dawnheart groaned as she dropped a whining black kit and reached for Dewkit. 

Finally becoming fed up with the rowdiness of the kits, the group took a moment to collect themselves, agreeing that Dewkit and Ravenkit would be carried until the others became tired, then they would switch places. 

"Well, I can certainly tell that they're you're kits, they complain just as much as you do!" Dovefur teased through black kit fur. 

"Oh hush, they're just upset because they were awaken from their rest," Dawnheart insisted. 

She batted her friend's side with her tail. 

"I do believe its because you  insisted we leave during moonhigh," she teased back.

The grass crunched under their paws as they traveled with only the moonlight as their guide. The silence had Dawnheart ponder all the possible ways their journey could go wrong. What if they met an unfriendly gang of rouges? What if they couldn't find shelter? Did her kittypet consort really know the way home? She swallowed hard as she stepped in sync with her companion. 

"You look troubled Dawnheart, is something wrong?"Dovefur asked quietly as she sat Ravenkit down, who was quickly tackled by his brother. 

Almost instantly, the other three kits jumped in, playfully biting each others flanks and sprinting around in a circle. Dovefur chuckled as she sat down and watched them, letting out a soft purr while whipping her tail on the ground. 

"Dovefur, what if we can't make it back to WindClan?" Dawnheart finally spoke, as she sat down and gazed at the ground. 

"Great StarClan! Do you ever stop worrying?" Dovefur exclaimed. "I've already told you, our ancestors will guide us home!"

She nuzzled her friend, wrapping her tail with Dawnheart's and letting out a reassuring chatter.  

Dawnheart titled her head towards the podgy she-cat.

"Our ancestors?" She inquired. "How do your ancestors know the way to the clans?"

Dovefur scattered to her paws and scooped up Emberkit, causing the kit to let out a yelp of surprise. 

"We have no time to talk. Dawn will be here soon, and we need to find a shelter for these doormouse kits!" She chimed, jogging off into the bushes and brambles. This caused Dawnheart to panic and grab her remaining three kits. 

"Mother, slow down!" Spottedkit pleaded as she swung violently, her siblings struggling to catch up. 

Dawnheart continued to run until she bolted to a stop at Dovefur's paws. 

"This is where we'll rest once sunup arrives," Dovefur panted, dropping Emberkit at her paws.

The kits followed her to a small burrow under a tree. It smelt of stale badger, which sent a shiver of worry down Dawnheart's back. She glanced over to Dovefur, whos eyes shown with pride and accomplishment.  

Reluctantly, she placed down Spottedkit, who struggled to catch up with her siblings. 

"It won't be too long until we can rest, why don't you kits play while I scavenge for food?" Dovefur suggested. 

The kits let out squeals of excitement as they unsheathed their claws and prepared to climb the tree.

"I am Crowstar, and this is my deputy Emberkit!" Crowkit commanded, swiftly climbing the tree, his siblings following after.

Dawnheart chuckled as Ravenkit angrily hissed from the bottom of the trunk. 

"You said I was going to be your deputy!" he spat, climbing after his littermates. 

"Emberkit can climb faster than you, and she's the oldest!" Crowkit protested as Emberkit puffed out her chest. 

Ravenkit spat and swiped at his orange sister, missing and almost falling of the branch.

"It doesn't matter the age of the deputy, Crowkit," Dawnheart said, climbing the tree with Dovefur close behind. 

"Well when I'm leader, my deputy is gonna be the oldest cat in the clan!" Crowkit insisted, helping Ravenkit shimmy up the branch.

"You're mother is right you furball," Dovefur remarked. "Being deputy is about the loyalty and skill they bring to their clan," Dovefur explained as she leaned onto the bark of the tree. "As long as you prove your worth, they'll love you. Deputy or not." She concluded, smiling at Ravenkit.

Dovefur locked eyes with Dawnheart as the clowder became quiet. 

"Erm, your mother told me that before, she's told me a lot. I'm going to search for freshkill, I'll return soon," she quickly muttered before jumping down and bounding into the shrubs. 

One by one, the kits shuffled down the tree and into the burrow below just as the sun began to peek through the trees. Only Dawnheart remained, sitting without moving. She had never told Dovefur about loyalty to a clan, or  the importance of proving your worth.  She was startled that her friend knew so much about clan life, since she had lived as a kittypet her entire life. Beginning to ponder even more, she began to think of her friend's name. 'Dovefur' wasn't usually something a cat would be named unless they were from a clan. Her fur stood up as she became lost in her thoughts, her piercing eyes scanning the ground while she thought.

"Are you coming, Mother?" she heard a kit's voice from below. 

"Yes, I'll be there in a moment," she called back. 

As she made her way down the tree, she couldn't stop herself from wondering. 

Was there something Dovefur wasn't telling her?