Dawnstar's Decision

Chapter 2

"What do you mean she's gone?" Lilysong hissed.

"She went to live with the rogues. She threatened to claw off our faces if we even thought to bring her back. She's gone...." Longfang meowed, defeated.

Dawnkit crept in the nursery, feeling sorry for herself, it's your decision... i will either make it a little easier, or a whole lot worse... a voice whispered in her ear. She saw her sisters piled up together.

"Look what you did to our mother! She's gone because of you!" Willowkit whimpered.

Dawnkit laid by herself in the corner, until she felt a warm body lay next to hers. It was Speckledkit, "I know it isn't your fault..." she mewed reassuringly.

The next morning, Dawnkit padded out of the nursery, watching the warriors speak from behind the bush.

"What if Dawnkit turns out exactly like her mother?" One warrior asked.

"I'm sure she won't... she's a good kit!" Longfang defended her.

"Well she was the most harsh on her." Smallface, the elder, pointed out, thinking of the angry queen's words.

"We will just have to go easy on her. Make sure to keep an eye on her." decided the other warrior.

"Come on guys, is this really necessary?" said Stormfeather, walking from the warriors den, "she is only a kit. She probably won't remember this happening to her if we treat her right."

"But that's what I'm saying Stormfeather!" hissed the warrior, which she now recognized as Darkclaw, "we have to keep a close eye on her."

Dawnkit backed up, making the bushes rustle. The warriors turned their heads just as the enraged kit ran back into the nursery. She couldn't believe they didn't trust her. She would never turn out to be like her mother. She just hoped that what the warrior was saying didn't affect how they thought of her. She knew she could prove herself to them.

***

"Dawnkit! Where are you going?!" shouted a suspicious apprentice, Pebblepaw.

"Just going to the dirtplace..." she growled through gritted teeth. Her worst nightmare had come true, it had been a few moons since the warriors had this discussion, but it had been a problem from that day forward. All of the warriors made sure she never made it past the nursery without a security check.

"Oh..." he mewed awkwardly, walking away.

Dawnkit shrugged, walking out of camp. The only warrior that never seemed to question her was Longfang, and for that she was grateful. After coming back out of the dirtplace tunnel, she went to check on her sister, Ashkit.

"Hey runt..." she mewed weekly, a joking tone in her voice. She and her sister had become somewhat closer after her injury. She was usually the only one who visited Ashkit.

"Hey mouse brain," Dawnkit joked back, throwing her a mouse from the fresh kill pile.

"Thanks! I haven't eaten all day. Featherpool and Lakepaw have been busy gathering herbs." the kit sighed, biting into her mouse.

Dawnkit nodded as Speckledkit rushed in, bumping into Dawnkit, "Oh sorry Dawnkit!" she squeaked energetically, "guess what!"

Dawnkit purred, "What? "

"Moonstar is going to make us apprentices tomorrow!" she squealed, but then looking at Ashkit's stricken face, she watched her paws, "oh.. sorry Ashkit..."

Ashkit sighed, staring off into the distance. Her paw and leg weren't all the way healed, "No.. it's fine. I- I'm happy for ya Speckledkit." she said halfheartedly.

Dawnkit and Speckledkit silently looked at each other, "Well if you're just going to be sorry for me, then leave!" Ashkit hissed.

"Come on, let's go..." Speckledkit muttered. Dawnkit looked back at her poor sister.

"Go where?" a sudden voice mewed, Dawnkit looked behind her and saw Lilysong.

"Hi Lilysong," Dawnkit muttered. Lilysong had been the worst about this new thing that the warriors were doing.

"We were just going to the nursery," Speckledkit lied, looking over at the rest of the camp.

Lilysong looked at them suspiciously, and then mewed, "Well I am going there too. Firekit and Nightkit need someone to play with!"

Dawnkit and Speckledkit groaned. They tread slowly across the clearing and into the nursery hollow. Firekit's and Nightkit's eyes lit up as they saw their friends move into the nursery.

"Hi Dawnkit! Hi Speckledkit!" Nightkit squeaked.

They purred a hello and sat while Lilysong got ready to tell them a nursery tale, "Now this one isn't one I've told you before... so listen carefully." she went on mysteriously, "Today will be about the evil Shadowstripe!"

"Wait what?!" Dawnkit burst out, "Shadowstripe is evil?!"

Lilysong flicked her tail over Dawnkit's mouth, "Let me finish! Shadowstripe was a mean cat from the start. He killed his own mate who was deputy..."

Dawnkit gasped, wondering if he was the same cat that she met in Star Clan. Firekit and Nightkit were enjoying Dawnkit's reactions.

"Well anyways," she continued, giving a stern look to Dawnkit, "now Shadowstripe dwells in the dark forest, or place of no stars, and haunts all of the bad little kits who don't go to bed on time!" she finished, with a joking gleam in her eyes.

"He-he won't get us, will he?" Firekit gasped, his eyes growing very large.

"Not if you're a good little kit!" mewed Lilysong mischievously.

"Yeah right!" scoffed Nightkit, "that's just a nursery tale that she is trying to scare us into going to bed with!"

Dawnkit was lost in thought as the two kits argued. Shadowstripe was a dark forest cat???!!! She shuddered, thinking of the promise she made. "I thought it was Star Clan!" she moaned in her head.

"What's wrong?" Speckledkit asked, pulling Dawnkit out of her thoughts.

"Oh.. nothing...." she mumbled, "just tired..." Speckledkit shrugged and curled up next to Willowkit.

Dawnkit slept in her usual corner, and woke up again where she was that first night. She immediately looked for Shadowstripe, "WHERE ARE YOU?! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" She yelled.

Shadstripe appeared, an evil gleam showing in his eyes, "No need to yell," he smirked, "I can hear you."

"I, I thought you were from Star Clan!" she hissed, a hurt tone in her soft mew.

"I plainly told you this was not Star Clan. You were just too dumb to listen." He hissed, looking at his sharp claws.

Dawnkit felt like the stupidest cat in the world. She looked up at him and back at the ground, "Well.... a promise is a promise, I guess..."

Shadowstripe smiled and backed away into the undergrowth. Dawnkit fell back into the real world, waking up with a start.