Golden Dawn

Chapter 3

The whole group both breathed out a sigh of relief and the tension dispersed.

"So, who's this friend you're taking?" Talltree asked the question on everybody's mind.

"He lives in the forest in between The Deadlands and Summitclan." Paprika explained, "Also, he's a bit jumpy so just, er, don't be too loud around him." Dawn nodded, "Ok, thanks for coming with us!" She was about to add something but was interrupted by a yawn. "Alright I say we head to bed now." Moon announced to the small group of cats and they all agreed. Even Needlenose, who was buzzing with excitement and could hardly sit still, seemed a little drowsy.

The group of cats each got up and went into the Twoleg den and curled up in their nests. After only 2 seconds, Dawn could hear soft snoring. I wish I could fall asleep that fast Dawn thought enviously. She lay awake in her nest, her mind buzzing about the future. What if we all die? What if we can't find a good place to live? What if...? What if... !

Dawn could barely take it anymore, and she leapt up, silently weaving through the nests till she got to the path leading to the den's entrance/exit. It was just past moonhigh, had I dozed off while thinking or something? Whatever. Dawn didn't know what to do now that she was outside of the den. She longed to go back in the den and escape from the bitter cold of the outside, but decided to take a walk instead.

Ugh, what am I doing? I won't be able to get up tomorrow, I should go back to sleep, she thought to herself, but I'm as wide awake as ever, perhaps I should just go hunt? Dawn agreed with her thoughts, and padded to the entrance of the group's camp, and started to stroll about the forest absentminded. She tried to hunt, but when Dawn noticed some prey instead of becoming alert and silent like normal, she stumbled about, scaring it off with ease. Why am I up in the first place? I'm going back to the den Dawn confirmed to herself, and turned around to the direction. In the middle of her short trek back, Dawn heard voices. She knew she had nothing to fear, because the camp was nearby, and she could just run back if it was a clan cat, or a Deadlands cat... Dawn thought, before quickly herself. Bad Dawn, don't go to that place! Just hearing the name Deadlands would send shivers up any cat's spine, even most Twolegs avoided the area. The Deadlands were an evil place, filled with abandoned Twoleg dens and skeletons of long dead monsters, their pelts a deep orange, but despite the eerie aura of the Deadlands, some cats somehow survived, but Dawn didn't know anything other than that from stories. She always wondered why the cats in the Deadlands didn't come to the group, it sounded so much nicer than whatever the Deadlands is. As Dawn snuck closer to the area with the voices, the trees started to thin out, and the ground gradually sloped up, making it harder and harder to creep up and eavesdrop, but she soon recognized the place. It was a rocky outcrop which gave way to an alarmingly steep drop, but the view is worth it. The cliff overlooked almost everything, the Deadlands, the forest and small Twoleg den nestled in the trees, and even the distant mountains where Summitclan is hidden away.

"...Jumpy, and hates strangers... but maybe he'll... no..."

"He's gotta! Kier was always friendly to you and..."

Dawn crept up, finally close enough to hear, yet hidden behind some underbrush. She quickly recognized the bizarre accent, it was Buster! That means the other cat would be... "But the young cats would be going close to the Deadlands! We can't have any more encounters with Revon-" Buster interrupted Paprika with a surprising amount of fear in his voice, it even made Dawn feel a bit wary. "Don't just go throwin' her name around like that! Somebody might hear us..." It was hard to see the duo, but Buster seemed to be looking around nervously, fidgeting with his paws. Paprika barked out a laugh, and replied; "Nobody can hear us! I can throw around her name all I want." Buster just yawned, "Alright, alright, whatever. Let's head back, I'm getting tired." Dawn's eyes widened. They're gonna find me eavesdropping on them! This isn't good... unless... An idea popped into Dawn's head, it certainly wasn't a smart plan, but it'll work.

As the cats got up and turned around, heading back into the forest, something happened. SNAP! The loud noise spooked the two already-on-edge cats, making them jump up at least a tail length. "What was that!?" Buster yelped, "is it another cat?" Paprika sniffed the air, and then took a few steps forward. "Yep, it's another cat, smells familiar-"

"Oh hey guys! I didn't see ya there!" Dawn appeared out of the bushes, carrying a few mice in her teeth, "I couldn't sleep so I went out for a bit of hunting, want one?" Paprika responded first, "eh, I'm alright. I think I'll head back.", and then padded past Dawn and into the forest. Buster, on the other paw nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I'll take one!" Dawn tossed a mouse to him, then turned around, "alright, I'm heading back, all that hunting has made me a bit sleepy." Dawn wandered through the forest, until she finally found the camp. Drowsily, she made her way back into the den, trying to differentiate what was dream and what was real. After what seemed like a hundred moons she found an empty nest, and settled in. Just before she fell asleep, she thought she could see another cat walk into the den. It was probably Buster or Paprika, but all she could remember were those eyes, they looked cold.