Dawnstar's Trouble {COMPLETE}

Chapter 11

The forest was dark, illuminated only by moonlight. However, when Dawnpaw looked up she couldn't see any sign of the moon or stars. Her pelt prickled with uneasy, something wasn't right. Dawnpaw tried to take in her surroundings, she was in SunClan's territory but she couldn't scent anything, she couldn't scent SunClan's scent or the scent of any cats nearby. Dawnpaw looked around, flattening her ears. She felt so alone and vulnerable.

Dawnpaw's ears twitched as she heard a cry, and it sounded familiar. Dawnpaw looked around in alarm, looking for the source of the distressed sound. It pulled her towards the river, and she broke into a sprint trying to reach the cat that was in trouble. When Dawnpaw reached the river it was much different than she remembered.

The waters weren't still or gentle, they were crashing and rushing dangerously. The water was as black as the empty sky above it. Dawnpaw's eyes scanned the rushing waters, looking for cat that was in trouble. She couldn't see anything, was she too late?

That's when Dawnpaw saw the bundle of wet fur being torn down the river, their fur was brown and the cat was tiny. Dawnpaw ran towards the river and met the cat's painfully familiar green eyes. Willowkit.

It was Dawnpaw's sister, and she was drowning! "Willowkit!" Dawnpaw cried. "Don't worry! I'm coming!" Dawnpaw raced along the bank, knowing she couldn't swim in the water but she could find something to pull Willowkit! I'll save you, Willowkit! I promise! Dawnpaw ran along the river, looking for a branch or long stick that she could pull Willowkit out with.

As Dawnpaw ran she heard another cry and skidded to a stop, she turned to see the struggling body of Sunstream. Dawnpaw's heart twisted as she watched her mentor be forced under the surface time and time again. Behind Sunstream, there was another cat, Dawnpaw instantly recognized the amber eyes and pale tabby stripes of Tigertail.

Dawnpaw froze in her paw steps. What's happening? Could she save all of them? Or would she die trying? Dawnpaw ran ahead of the three drowning cats, finding a sturdy looking branch. I'll save you, I'll save you all! She vowed, dragging the stuck to the river and sticking it out.

Dawnpaw could feel the water lapping at her paws, threatening to pull her under but she stood firm. Dawnpaw dared to take another step forward, but her paw stepped into thick mud. Dawnpaw lifted her paw in alarm, causing her other paws to slip in the mud. With a cry of alarm, Dawnpaw dropped her stick in the water and slipped into the churning water. It was ice cold, tugging at her fur and pulling her under.

Dawnpaw's head dipped below the surface, she couldn't breathe. She forced herself to breach the surface once more, but it wasn't long before she was back under. In the distance, thunder rolled through the sky and lightning split the air. "Help!" Dawnpaw tried to call, but her voice was cut off by a wave that overtook her head.

"Dawnpaw!" There was a soft voice calling her name, and on the river bank she spotted the StarClan cat, Honeywing. The medicine cat had a large stick, similar to the one Dawnpaw found. "Come over here!" Dawnpaw churred her paws as hard as she could, but exhaustion was starting to grip her body. She reached Honeywing, biting onto the stick and looking up at the she-cat, but when she met the gaze of the cat...it wasn't green eyes.

She instead faced the dark, bold amber eyes of Thornpelt. Malice filled the amber depths with hatred cracking like the lightning in the sky around them. Before Dawnpaw could pull herself up, Thornpelt released the branch and Dawnpaw fell back into the river. Fear and panic gripped her heart, she didn't break eye contact with Thornpelt, falling slowly into the river as thunder cracked through the air.

Dawnpaw shot up in her nest, heart racing and body aching. She looked around in alarm, expecting to see herself surrounded by churning waters. Instead she only saw her denmates, sleeping peacefully. Turtlepaw stirred when she jumped up, but did not wake. It was a dream. Dawnpaw realized, trying to calm her erratic breathing.