Dawnstar's Decision

Chapter 34

Many moons had passed since the day Dawnsky had been made deputy. A harsh leaf bare was upon them, and it was a lot colder than the past few leaf bares had been. The lake had completely frozen over, and snow covered the ground in layers.

The bitter wind woke Dawnsky, and she shivered, puffing out her short fur to try and keep warm. She shook her paws, which were numb from the cold. I'd better get the dawn patrol ready. She thought, slowly getting up.

Dawnsky walked out of the den, and saw that the sun had barely risen, "I've still got some time." She sighed, walking back into her den. She curled up, staring at the walls of the warriors den. I wonder what Shadowstripe is doing... he hasn't visited me since I became deputy. She pondered, maybe his goal was to stop me from being leader. Well he's definitely going to fail at that! She smiled in satisfaction, flexing her claws. "He's probably just given up, since I'm already deputy." She whispered to herself.

After what seemed like moons of boredom and staring into space, Dawnsky got up again. "Longfang, Spottedbreeze, Willowfur and Pebblefur. You've got the dawn patrol." She mewed.

She could hear groans from all around the large den. Longfang was the first to get up, and Dawnsky could see signs of age in the seasoned warrior. He slowly got to his paws, "You heard Dawnsky. Get up!" He meowed to the cats that had already fallen back to sleep.

Dawnsky sighed, shaking her head. She was used to getting up early by now, but she understood how everyone hated to leave their warm nests and go out into the freezing cold. She stepped out of the den, her paws immediately sinking in the snow.

"We better get this done quickly," Willowfur shivered, "or my paws are going to freeze and fall off!"

"Do you think any prey will be out this early?" Dawnsky could hear Spottedbreeze complain to Pebblefur.

"Not if they're smart..." he mumbled grumpily back to her.

Longfang walked next to Dawnsky, his jet black fur standing out in the white snow. "They are acting as if they're doing apprentice duties instead of going on a patrol." He let out a mrrow of laughter.

"I can see why," Dawnsky purred, "it's freezing out here."

"So where do you want to go first?" He asked.

"Why not near Sea Clan border?" She mewed, mostly because she wanted to witness the frozen lake that everyone had been talking about herself.

"Sounds like a plan." He nodded.

They walked out of camp and into the woods in silence, observing their beautiful surroundings. Once they reached the SeaClan border, Dawnsky stared at the lake in awe. The rising sun glistened off the ice-covered water, making it gleam. She could see the reflection of the trees all around it and so she walked closer, putting a paw out to touch the shiny ice.

"Be careful." Longfang warned, "That ice can be really thin in some places."

Dawnsky drew her paw back, feeling a sudden chill go down her spine, and not because of the cold. A strange memory sparked in the back of her mind, but she couldn't tell what it was. She stepped back; there was something about the frozen lakeshore that suddenly seemed foreboding and dangerous for some reason.

"Er Dawnsky, you're not going to fall through the ice just by looking at it. Don't worry." Longfang joked.

"I know." She forced a small laugh, "It's just-"

"Are you okay, Dawnsky?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was trying to tell her something, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just... I don't know. Never mind, I'm fine."