Revenge (Sequel To Embarrassing Love)

Chapter 5

Dawnkit stared at the clump of fur. She quickly took it in her mouth and ran away from the dwindling crowd around Softwing's body. She raced into the nursery. To her relief, it was empty. She laid the fur down in her nest and stared at it. It was silver with a stripe of dark gray fur running along it. Dawnkit looked outside. The fur matched Ivybreeze's fur perfectly.

No, no! What if she finds out? She'll kill me! Dawnkit thought. She glanced one more time outside. Ivybreeze was staring suspiciously at her. She held back a mewl of fright and dug under the moss. She quickly placed the fur under her nest and covered it up.

"What are you doing in here?" a voice hissed from behind. Dawnkit whipped around to see Ivybreeze looming over her.

"Oh, I was just..." she took a deep breath, "I know you killed Softwing."

Ivybreeze's eyes widened, but they soon grew calm. "You are merely a kit." she sneered, "I could kill you if I wanted, but I see promise in you. You could join me."

Dawnkit fluffed her fur up until she was twice her size. "I'll never join you, you fox dung!"

Ivybreeze chuckled. "Well if you won't join me, then what will you do, tell Vinestar?"

Dawnkit nodded. "That's exactly what I'll do." Ivybreeze unsheathed her claws. "If you tell, I will kill you. Got that?" She turned around and brushed Dawnkit's nose mockingly with her tail. With that she left and joined the crowd around Softwing. Dawnkit sat shaking in her nest. I can't tell anyone, or else she'll kill me. This has to stay a secret for now. Starclan forgive me. 

Squirrelfur lifted Softwing onto Kinkfur's shoulders. He helped carry her by her scruff. They took her to be buried. Sunkit padded into the nursery to join Dawnkit.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine." she replied dismissively.

"You know, we are becoming apprentices as soon as Kinkfoot and Squirrelfur return." he meowed excitedly. Her dread lifted a bit.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah!" Sunkit replied. Dawnkit purred with relief. At least one good thing will happen today.

Kinkfoot and Squirrelfur padded through the fern tunnel into camp. Lifeblaze and Flamestorm groomed Sunkit and Dawnkit.

"I can groom myself!" Dawnkit protested.

"Then how come you are still covered in dirt?" Lifeblaze retorted between licks. Vinestar leaped onto highrock.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath highrock for a clan meeting." he called.  Once the whole clan had sat down before hightrock, Vinestar continued.

"Softwing was our first medicine cat in Lifeclan and we will never forget her. She has passed on her skills and quick thinking to her apprentice. Kinkfoot please step forward."

Kinkfoot padded up to highrock until he was only a few mouse lengths away.

"Kinkfoot, you have been taught well by Softwing. She will never be able to be replaced, but I trust that  you will care for the clan just as much. From this moment on, you will be known as Kinkfoot, medicine cat of Lifeclan." Vinestar gazed approvingly at the young tom. His eyes shone with pride.

"Kinkfoot! Kinkfoot!" the clan cheered.

"We also have two new apprentices." Vinestar yowled. "Dawnkit, Sunkit, please step forward." Dawnkit took a few steps forward to stand beside Kinkfoot. Sunkit did the same.

"You have both waited six moons to become apprentices, and you are ready. Sunkit, from this moment on, you will be known as Sunpaw. Tawnypetal, I trust that you will pass on your keen senses and agility to this apprentice." Sunpaw touched noses with Tawnypetal.

"Dawnkit, from this moment forward you will be known as Dawnpaw. Ivybreeze, you have become one of our strongest warriors very quickly. I hope you will pass on your wit and strength to Dawnpaw."

Dawnpaw's heart sank. Ivybreeze couldn't be her mentor. She turned to she Ivybreeze smirking at her.   She stepped forward, now with a fake excited expression. She touched noses with Dawnpaw and whispered in her ear, "This will be fun."

With that she went and sat back down, not breaking eye contact with Dawnpaw. The clan cheered the two apprentice's names.

"Meeting dismissed." Vinestar yowled and jumped down from highrock. The crowd dispersed, except Ivybreeze, who padded up to Dawnpaw. She shivered with fear.

"Why don't we explore the territory?" she asked. Dawnpaw nodded shakily.

"Can we come too?" Tawnypetal asked.

"No. I would like her to see the territory alone." Ivybreeze replied. Tawnypetal shrugged and went to talk with Sunkit.

"Let's go." Ivybreeze purred sinisterly. Dawnpaw followed a fox length behind.

She is going to kill me, just like Softwing. Now I have no excuse to get away.