Dawnstar's Decision

Chapter 36

Dawnsky woke up sprawled out on the snowy lakeshore. She let out a low moan as the pain slowly returned to every part of her body. She laid there stiffly, not daring to move. She squinted her eyes to try and clear her vision, and as soon as she tried to open them, a sharp pain shot through her head. She moaned again.

"Dawnsky?" Came a voice behind her.

She groaned in pain and attempted to turn her head to the sound.

"No! Wait, don't try to move. I'll come to where you can see me." The cat moved in front of her, and she saw it was Nightstar.

She made an indistinct noise as she tried to talk, and she coughed out some water and dirt that she had swallowed.

"Wow, I can't believe you actually survived! I thought you were gone for good!" He mewed, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Where.... what.... happened?" She croaked, coughing up more water. Her head continued to throb, and her back stung from all of the places that the ice cut her.

"As soon as Bear and Patch left, I got up, and it was so cool! I saw the whole thing!" He mewed, sounding awestruck.

Dawnsky pulled herself up, and then collapsed again. She lifted her head instead, "So, did you save me?" She coughed.

"What? No!" He purred, "I wouldn't have gone anywhere near that ice water. But somebody else did."

Oh, thanks a lot Nightstar.... I'm glad you care so much about me... she narrowed her eyes, "Please, just tell me what happened!" She mewed anxiously.

"You'll never believe it! But I'm telling you, that's what really happened," he cleared his throat, "Okay, so when Patch jumped on you, he was so big that all the ice around you just shattered. It took that big brown one a lot of effort to pull Patch out of the water, but he did. After he left, I got up and prepared to sit vigil for you till moonhigh, but then the craziest thing happened!"

Dawnsky waited for him to continue, she flicked her tail.

"All of a sudden, this cat that I had never even seen before just appeared out of nowhere. He was this really dark brown tabby with scars all over his throat. But anyways, he just dived in the water like it was nothing and brought you out. He wasn't even wet when he came out with you, and he just plopped you down on the snow. And get this: he just dissapeared!" His eyes were filled with excitement from his story.

"Wow, that's pretty cool..." she sighed, feeling exhausted. She was so tired that she barely processed what he said. She began to close her eyes again.

"Dawnsky, wait!" He mewed.

She looked up, "Huh?"

He looked down awkwardly, "Er, thanks for, you know, saving me and stuff." He muttered.

She smiled, "Oh, it was nothing." She mewed in more of a sarcastic tone. She laid her head down on the snow, "Oh, and Nighstar?" She mumbled sleepily.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Don't tell anyone what happened today...." she sighed, closing her eyes.

"But, you just saved my life! Don't you want the clan to know?" He asked.

"No, not really." She drifted off into sleep.

***

"What happened to you guys?! Why is her back all torn up?" Came Willowfur's worried voice from outside the medicine cat den.

It was already evening, and Nightstar had dragged Dawnsky back to camp. The whole clan had gasped in horror at both of their wounds when they came in. Longfang, Firefur, and Willowfur were all surrounding Dawnsky in Lakeheart's den.

"Will they be okay?" Longfang asked Lakeheart.

"Yes, they both will be fine." She mewed calmly.

Dawnsky could tell that Nightstar really wanted to share his story, and she was pretty sure that if he did, he would twist it up since he didn't even attempt to save her. But he hadn't revealed anything yet.

"So what exactly happened?" Firefur asked curiously.

Dawnsky flinched, thinking of her son jumping at her and the awful feeling of plunging through the ice. She shot a pleading glance at Nightstar, who nodded.

"We were attacked-"

Dawnsky glared at him.

"-by a fox." He mewed.

She smiled in relief and he winked at her. He may never be my friend, she thought, but at least I can always trust him to keep my secret. I guess I really did make the right decision...

((Yaay so now there's only one chapter left! :D also, I was thinking of maybe adding a bonus story at the end to tell what would have happened if Dawnsky made the other decision, but idk))