Warrior Cats: Dawnheart's Journey

chapter thirteen

"Mother! Get up!" Dewkit pleaded, biting down on her mother's tail.

Dawnheart groaned as she stood up from her sleeping place.

"Huh? Where are your siblings?" She said dazed.

"They're gone! Dovefur told me to wake you up while she went to look for them!" Spottedkit cried.

Dawnheart, now wide eyed, sprang up and sniffed the air. Her paws trampled the earth as she stumbled around the camp. She quickly found Dovefur's scent, and took off after it. She yelled for Dewkit to follow her, but to walk carefully. Without looking back, the worried mother vanished into the bushes. 

When she emerged from the bramble filled shrub, panic filled her body as she smelt a familiar smell. Her ears pricked up as she heard the sound of hissing and wails of pain nearby. 

"Oh StarClan, can I not just have one day of rest without fighting or finding out secrets?" She hissed, sprinting into the direction of the noise. 

Her paws came to a stop as a small black kit flew past her ear. He landed with a thud before springing back up and charging into the pile of battling cats. 

"Crowkit!" Dawnheart sprinted after him, ready to pounce on any sign of a threat. 

A paw collided into the back of her head as she turned around. Dovefur's eyes were covered in blood and she was swinging at anything she could find that fit the size of the attacker. Despite not being able to see, the fluffy cat still pounced on the calico, attempting to bite her neck. Dawnheart closed her eyes as the jaws clamped down hard on her neck, drawing blood.

"Dovefur!" Dewkit screeched, "That's Dawnheart! You're hurting Dawnheart!"

She felt the jaws release as she opened her eyes. Dovefur was shaking as she backed away, her left eye barley showing. She turned to run towards Dewkit before collapsing a fox length away. Before Dawnheart could do anything, a voice cackled behind her.

"I knew you would show if I stole something precious of yours," Stealth chuckled, touching her tail and making her jump.

"You've followed us all the way here?" She screeched, her claws unsheathing at the sound of his voice. 

Stealth chuckled again, his dangerous voice not fitting the small body that produced it, especially since he was alone now. "You're quite the smart cat."

Stealth kept his glance of Dawnheart as he backed away. 

"I've become so much more deadly without my brothers. In fact, I should thank you for helping me get rid of them," he continued with an eerily happy tone. "It filled me with the anger I needed, it made me so much stronger than both of them."

Dawnheart looked over her shoulder as Crowkit emerged from the rubble that had been there before she had found them. His fur was matted and he had a huge claw mark on his side. Stealth's fur stood as he moved into his fighting stance, shaking with excitement. 

The calico she-cat's fur also began to stand as she bolted into action, but she was too late. Stealth flipped around and clawed at her belly as she jumped over him. She fell in pain as she let out a cry. He let out a roar as he pressed his paws against Dawnheart's skull, adding an usual amount of pressure. His claws dug into her face, making her cry in pain again.

"One more step, you pitiful kits and your father won't be the only one missing!" He spat as the figures came to a quick stop. His chest moved rapidly as he struggled to control his breath. 

"No!" Crowkit pleaded. "Your battle is with me, not her. She has done nothing to deserve death!" 

Stealth let out a growl as he pressed down more on her head.