Warriors An Awaiting Dawn: A Doused Star

Chapter 12

Pigeon Talon seemed to be in a field. Nothing but sun overhead, it made her bask in its warmth. Suddenly something flared up inside her. She blinked and stared off into the forest, then a burning scent filled her nose. Prey scurried past her not even acknowledging her. The forest was on fire!
"No! Our home!" Pigeon Talon wailed. A starry cat appeared in front of her. "A cat will fade.." they meowed.
"No! Noo!" She shrieked. Something faint broke in but she ignored it.
"Piegon Talon! Wake up!" A voice yowled in her ears. She gasped and woke up to see Leaping Breeze shaking her. The van she-cat blinked at her as she was fully awake now. "What happened?" The lilac she-cat mewed. "You were yowling no in your sleep." She replied.
"It was a message from the ancestors. I saw the forest on fire and prey ran off and a cat appeared in front of me and said that a cat's going to fade. But I knew that they meant one of us is going to die.." Pigeon Talon replied. "But you're our healer. You wouldn't let any of us die Pigeon Talon. You shouldn't doubt yourself, you saved Light Mist from her sickness." She mewed kindly.
"But I couldn't save Stone Storm! Or Misty Tail! Or Bright Wind! What kind of healer am I if I can't keep cats alive?" The other she-cat mewed.
"Not everycat lives forever." Fish Scar drew near them, briefly licking his chest. "We all live for a short moon Pigeon Talon. We can't stay alive for all time."
"I just want to be a good healer. I can't be that if cats die at my paws." She whimpered.
"Death is unavoidable. You can't change that." The mackerel tabby tom meowed. He was right. The lilac tabby was looking thoughtful. "You're right. I should keep going on to be the best healer in the group I can be." She mewed finally, feeling strength surge through her.
"That's all we can ever ask of you." Silver Leaf then came over, bright as usual with a mouse in his jaws for her to eat.
"You need to eat. We thought food might be able keep your strength up." Leaping Breeze purred. The lilac tabby she-cat dipped her head in a thanks. Thresh was playing with the kits again. "Rah! I'm a big scary stoat! And I am hungry!" He pretended to be a stoat. Stone Frost puffed out his chest. He pounced on the fluffy black tom's belly.
"Pigeon Talon, everything is fine, stop worrying." Running Fern mewed.
"The rest of us will do that when we we're not being attacked by wolves, weasels, birds, or rogues anymore." Light Mist meowed, her tail twitching. Dove's Pelt tapped her sister on the nose with her tail, pressing close to the white and gray tom. He smiled down at her and gave her ear a lick of affection.
"Hate to break up this sharing of tongues but we have a scouting patrol to attend to." Little Ear mewed, scratching behind his ear with his back paw. He stared at them and led the way into the forest until paws sounded behind him. Weasel Spot sniffed the air. "Something smells weird.." he muttered to Little Ear. The ticked tabby tom parted his jaws. "We're being followed." He concluded in a growl of slight fury. All was silent around the cats. Gray Sky's amber eyes gleamed in slits. A cat exploded through the bush and cannoned into the black and white mottled tom's side.
"We're under attack!" Gorse Feather shrieked, flinging herself at a cat heading for her. "You should give up dwellers! Crawl back to where you ever it is you came from and leave this forest!" The attacker hissed. It was Alpine, leader of the rogues and his companions. Suddenly, a flash of ginger tabby fur slammed into him. It was Viper Strike. Wolf Fur was running forward with a battle shriek, and he and Violet Leaf clamored onto a cat attacking Dapple Spots. Magnolia curled her lip and faced Cove. The gray she-cat's paws glistened in the sun. Fighting filled the forest. Ginger Foot and Speckle Leap were driving a cat into the bushes. A wailing sounded. "Retreat! Retreat!" Alpine wailed and tore off. He looked over his shoulder. "This isn't over outsiders! I promise!" He growled.
"Lucky you don't keep your promises you badger-dung mange!" Magnolia yowled showing her teeth.