Warrior Cats: Dawnheart's Journey

chapter five

"It's still wrong to leave your home without permission," Leo spoke to the kits sternly.  "You could have gotten seriously hurt if I hadn't found you."

"But it isn't our home, we're on a journey to get  home," Crowkit spoke up, standing up for his siblings. 

Leo chuckled, wrapping his black tail around the five small children. Frightened at first, Crowkit bit down on his tail.

"Your leader commands you to attack!" He yowled, signaling to his littermates to play. 

Leo batted playfully at the kits as they all began to jump onto his back. He rolled over as he let out a sarcastic yowl before resting his muscles and laying limp. Dawnheart smile and let out a chuckle as she stepped out of the bushes. The group of six froze, startled.

"If you wanted to play with the kittypets, you should have just asked!" She purred, thankful they were okay. 

She glanced at Leo who quickly darted his gaze to his kits. He gently stood up and nudged the kits' rears towards their mother. 

"You put up quite a fight, Crow. That'll come in handy one day, keep an eye out for your siblings," he purred quickly walking away. 

Just as Dawnheart began to walk towards the black tom, a gray pelt tore through the bushes and attached itself to Leo. Startled, he clawed at his attacker, spinning around as fast as he could. 

 His yelps sent Dawnheart into a panic as she leaped by his side. She grabbed the attacker by the scruff and slung it away from her kits. 

"Dovefur!" Dawnheart hissed, startled as her friend stumbled to her paws.

"You mouse-hearted fool! How dare you steal her kits and then try to sneak away?" Dovefur snarled.

Leo's eyes flashed thankfulness at the calico she-cat before he sprinted the opposite way. Dawnheart glared angrily at Dovefur, she was still in an attacking stance. 

"Watch my kits this time!" She hissed before sprinting after him. 

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Brambles scraped Dawnheart's face as she sprinted through the twolegs place. Her breath became heavier with each step and her eyes blurred as Leo's pelt disappeared. She struggled to keep up, tripping over a root before springing back up. Finally, she stumbled out of the bushes and collided with a fence. She shook her head and glared at the top.

An unfamiliar voice caused Dawnheart to stop her preparation of jumping.

"You smell of unfamiliar scents, and you look as if you were in a fight, where have you been?" The voice demanded. 

Dawnheart poked her eye through a hole and glared, her green eyes widening at what she saw.

"I stumbled across five adorable kits," Leo responded, rubbing up against a beautiful bark colored she-cat. "They wanted to play and they wouldn't let me leave,"

"Well instead of spending your time with random kits, you could have been here with your own. Delilah and I were worried about you," she spoke, cleaning the tiny kit in her paws. 

"It's alright, my love, I just went for a stroll and got side tracked while you were resting, but I'm here now," he replied, locking his eyes onto his daughter. 

Dawnheart looked away, her claws attacked the ground below her. Is this my punishment, StarClan?  She hissed to herself. Without looking back, she walked through the bushes again, this time the brambles had no affect on her. 

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"Mother! Mother! That cat was so friendly!" Dewkit chirped, nuzzling her mother's leg. 

"Well you didn't know that when you ran away, did you? You should all be ashamed! Be thankful I don't have Dovefur rip you to shreds like that kittypet!" She hissed, causing her children to go quiet. 

Dawnheart motioned with her tail for Dovefur, who had been silently spectating from the back, to follow her. The rest of their journey towards the nesting spot was awkwardly silent. First he abandons me and my children, then gets into a fight right in front of them, and then goes home to his new mate and lies to her?  She let out a low growl and began to pick up her pace. 

"Mother, it wasn't their fault," Crowkit finally stuttered. 

Dawnheart eyed her kit before coming to a complete stop. "I'm listening."

"We woke up and decided to search for a squirrel, but then we went looking we found him," Crowkit explained, his blue eyes shinning. "He looked like me, Mother, so I made everyone follow him. They didn't want to, but I forced them. He took us to that alley and fed us a mouse, then he started telling us stories."

Dawnheart's expression softened as she sat down, glad their father cared for them. Her kits mimicked her movement, and soon everyone (except Dovefur, who stood quietly in the back) was listening to the black kit.

"What were the stories?" Dawnheart asked.

Crowkit perked up and hummed as he tried to recall the words.

"Well, he talked about this beautiful spotted she-cat with a beautiful heart who he loved, and... a fearless brown she-cat who he carried an everlasting friendship with who he also loved," he spoke, tilting his head as he struggled to remember every word. 

"Is that so?" Dawnheart murmured, her heart pounding in her chest. 

"He said he chose the friendship because the spotted cat didn't need him anymore," Ravenkit added as the remaining four nodded in agreement. "I thought the story was boring, but it reminded me of you."

Dawnheart felt her eyes sting. She wrapped her tail around her kits just as their father had, and cuddled them.

"Well because these "little adventurers" decided to leave like a group of warriors on patrol, we won't be able to rest for long," Dovefur spitefully interrupted, picking up Crowkit.

Dawnheart sprang up in front of her chubby friend and snatched the kit away.

"I think I'll carry him for now," she chirped, letting Spottedkit climb onto her back.

Dovefur nodded, picking up Ravenkit and trotting along side her friend. 

"Why can't we just stay up?" Dewkit asked, jogging close the gray cat. 

"I need to sleep so I can dream," Dovefur responded. "Dreams help us get home."

What?  Dawnheart pondered, before gazing down towards her black kits once again.

She purred to herself as she walked forwards.

 StarClan, as much as he hurt me, I will forever love him. Please protect him and his mate just as he protected me when I was vulnerable. I know I will never be with him again , but I carry his legacy through his children who will honor you and serve for you. He has given me more than I could ever ask for, and he will always have my heart.