Dawnstar's Decision

Chapter 11

"What are you doing on SeaClan territory?!" Hissed a large tom that had just appeared out of the reeds, followed by a whole patrol of cats.

Dawnsky stiffened. She didn't even notice that they had passed the scent marker when they were looking for Ashkit. Oh Star Clan! How could you not have noticed? Greenleaf twolegplace belongs to SeaClan! she thought to herself. She stepped back, turning her head towards her sisters who looked just as frightened as her, maybe more.

"We didn't mean to get on your territory, we promise!" cried Speckledpath.

"Oh really?" growled a she cat, "We saw you cross the border and it looked like you knew what you were doing!"

Willowfur let out a little squeak, as if she couldn't speak.

"Please, just let us go back to our territory without a fight," pleaded Dawnsky, "we honestly didn't realize that we had crossed the border. We won't do it again!"

"Yeah, right!" growled another cat, unsheathing her claws. The other cats around her did the same thing.

"I think these IceClan cats need to be taught a lesson about the warrior code!" sneered the tom.

"Yes they do need to be taught a lesson!" rasped a booming voice from across the border, "but not with violence." It was Moonstar! Dawnsky's muscles relaxed as her leader walked up to the edge of the border.

"I am sorry my warriors crossed your border, it won't happen again." he shot a stern glance at the three sisters.

The tom stepped back, sheathing his claws, "Just make sure no one crosses our borders again."

The rest of the SeaClan patrol nodded, glaring at Dawnsky and her sisters. I wish I was invisible right now! thought Dawnsky. She felt so embarrassed for breaking the warrior code and having her leader come to her rescue. All she wanted was to curl up and hide in her den for a while and forget this day ever happened, and not just because of the SeaClan incident. She felt a deep pang of regret well up inside of her. It was all her fault that Ashkit had been taken by twolegs! And there was nothing she could do.

"....don't worry, they will be disciplined when we get back to camp." Dawnsky only heard the last part of Moonstar's conversation.

"They'd better be..." grumbled the tom as he led his patrol back to their own camp.

Dawnsky, Speckledpath, and Willowfur followed their leader and his patrol with their heads down in shame. As they entered the camp, Moonstar turned his head around, "You were lucky we were there, you could've been badly injured!" he scolded.

"We know, but-" Speckledpath started.

"What were you even doing on that side of the border anyways?!"

Dawnsky took a deep breath, "Ashkit.... she's gone...."

"Gone? What do you mean she's gone?"

Speckledpath explained what happened while Dawnsky and Willowfur sat silently. Moonstar looked stricken with grief, as did all of the other cats around him. Nightpaw, now Nightpelt, stepped up.

"Why would twolegs do something so.... horrible?!" he gasped, his eyes widened.

"What will they do to her?" Whitefang wondered.

"They'll torture her! Oh this is terrible!" Stormfeather meowed angrily.

All of the cats started talking at once, and Moonstar cleared his throat, "Everyone be quiet!" he silenced the cats, "We don't know what the twolegs will do, but we can only hope for the best. They may find a way to fix her injuries. She might live a happier life with them."

"You mean as a... kittypet?!" gasped Grassblade. The other cats started to talk again in worried tones.

"Listen!!!!" Moonstar meowed, "Like I said, we don't know what will happen, but we can only hope for the best. We will all miss her greatly, but there is nothing we can do. I am so sorry."

Dawnsky watched as the cats around her dispersed. She stayed glued to the spot, knowing that Moonstar had more to say to her and her sisters. She clawed at a patch of grass, anxiously awaiting her punishment. Moonstar walked up to her, sympathy in his eyes, "I know you didn't mean to cross the borders. You were only trying to rescue your sister," he said in a soft voice, "but you will have to be punished a little for breaking the warrior code. You and your sisters will take over apprentice duties for a quarter moon."

"Yes Moonstar." said all three cats at once.

When Moonstar turned away, Dawnsky slowly padded back to her den. She plopped down in her nest, exhausted from the long day. As soon as her head touched the moss, she fell into a deep sleep.

She woke up suddenly, but not in her nest. It wasn't Star Clan either. She coughed as the acrid scent of the dark forest filled her nose.

"Did you miss me?" Sneered a dark figure that appeared out of nowhere.

"Shadowstripe!" Dawnsky hissed, "I need to talk to you!"

"Well that's what I'm here for...." he smirked, "I have a feeling it has to do with yesterday's unfortunate events?"

"That's exactly what I want to talk to you about!" She snapped, "Why?! What did I do to deserve this? What did Ashkit do?"

"Bad things do happen, Dawnsky. It's not always your fault." he said in a mock sympathetic tone.

Dawnsky resisted the urge to lash her claws across his face, "But I made the right decision, not meeting with Bear! Aren't good things supposed to happen if I make the right decision?"

"I never said that," he mewed innocently, "I merely said I would help you get through the decision if you made the right one."

Dawnsky unsheathed her claws and yowled in rage, jumping at him. He easily dodged her and knocked her to the ground with one singled blow. Blood started to well up by her jaw.

"Now, now," he hissed, "no need to get angry! It was your bad decision in the first place not mine."

Dawnsky shakily got up, feeling defeated. She growled menacingly at him, "You.... you ruined my life!"

"No Dawnsky," he mewed calmly as he started to fade away, "you ruined your own life."

She woke up with a start.