Warrior Cats: Dawnheart's Journey

chapter four

"Dawnheart! Wake up! The kits are gone!" A voice shouted urgently. 

Taking in these words in, she bolted to her feet, hitting her head on the dirt above her. 

"What? Weren't you supposed to keep watch?" She demanded, crawling out of the burrow and sprinting into the bushes. 

"I never said such a thing!" Dovefur spat, checking the bushes on the opposite side. "I went out for freshkill, and when I came back they were gone!"

Dawnheart began to panic, opening her jaws for any scent from her sweet children. Silently, the two she-cats searched the ground over and over until Dawnheart broke down. 

"I never should have let them sleep even a rabbit hop away!" She weeped as Dovefur gently groomed her friend. "They're much too young not to be by my side!"

"If you had them stay by your side from sunhigh to moonhigh, they would never become truly independent. Having them wonder off together just shows you've taught them to always stick together. We'll find them, we just need to look a little further. There's a twolegsplace not too far from here, its the only place we haven't checked," Dovefur meowed softly.

Dawnheart nodded and steadily got to her paws. The two walked side by side, glaring towards any sound they heard. The smell of grass and bark filled their noses and seemed to sooth them enough to remember each other's presence. It had been quite some time since the two were able to roam around by themselves. After a while, Dovefur felt comfortable enough to break the silence. 

"Dawnheart you've never told me, what family do you have in WindClan?" she finally spoke, continuing to look around. 

Dawnheart stayed quite for a moment before finally responding.

"My brother Ashwing is the only one I really have left. My mother is hated by most of the clan for being a former kittypet-" she gazed at her friend whose expression changed to discomfort. "Well, I think it was mainly because she broke warrior code." she quickly corrected herself. 

Dovefur chuckled as she waited to hear more.

"Even if she wasn't hated, she never really paid much attention to me and Ashwing, especially after the death of Willowpaw..." Dawnheart continued. 

"Willowpaw?" Dovefur inquired. "Who's Willowpaw?"

Dawnheart paused hesitantly before responding. 

"She was my sister, she drowned in a river shortly after receiving her apprentice name. It was really rough for us, but it ended up making Ashwing and I closer than ever. He always protected me from everyone's harsh judgment, and it paid off because he became the clan's deputy," Dawnheart purred, becoming a little more relaxed. 

"How did your mother break the code?" Dovefur asked, curiosity filling her eyes.

"She wasn't really familiar with warrior code, and she fell in love with a cat from a different clan," she responded quieter than before. "My father's name is Ashfur. Ashwing resembles him a lot."

Dovefur nodded as the two she-cats stopped at a fence. They climbed together, and leaped gently onto the ground. The sun was above their heads, and new scents filled their noses. 

"Dawnheart, I'm really glad you let me come with you. I had gotten so used to kittypet life I haven't really been my true self in a while. I've met so many other cats, but none make me feel the way I do with you. You're a great friend, a great mother, and I know you'll be a great warrior," Dovefur whispered loud enough for her to hear. 

Dawnheart paused and beamed at her dear friend. 

"Dovefur... why have you never told me about your past?" she asked. 

Dovefur stayed silent for a long while, as if she were trying to think.

"My mother's name was Dove and my father's name was Fern. I had six other siblings and I was the smallest, they left me because they saw me as 'too weak'. I was raised by twolegs until I met you," she responded quickly. She began to pick up her pace, trying her hardest to avoid anymore questions. 

The rest of the search was silent, both she-cats too busy thinking to spark conversation. Dawnheart worried about finding her kits and her way home, and Dovefur's mind was the only thing that knew what troubled her. Suddenly, Dovefur jolted up and launched her tail towards Dawnheart to stop her. 

"I smell them!" She meowed energetically as she dashed down an alley and into the shade of the trees. 

Annoyed that her friend was leaving her once again, Dawnheart sprinted after her. Once she had caught up, she noticed her chubby friend's fur had risen, and she had unsheathed her claws. Dawnheart followed her gaze and froze at the sight. There were all five of her kits gathered around her former mate, Leo.