Chasing Dawn: Moon

Chapter 2|Strange Dreams

Moonpaw stood outside of the den, listening to Gingersnap and Echostar arguing.

"It obviously means that StarClan wants her to start her own Clan, if she's not in the RiverClan camp!"

Moonpaw froze. What?

Gingersnap countered, rage thick in her voice. "Never! She won't leave RiverClan. Maybe the Clans move away from the lake."

Echostar hissed. "Stop it! I am your leader! If StarClan says Moonpaw can go, Moonpaw can go! But don't tell her this, she must decide for herself whether or not she leaves."

Moonpaw took a step back, shaking. WHAT?!

Moonpaw leaped back into the clearing just before the two she-cats emerged from the leader's den. She fiercely told herself to not look guilty as she chose a big fish and began eating it. She watched the she-cats glare at each other before each going to do their own thing.

Moonpaw jumped when Gingersnap spoke to her. "Did you hear what we were arguing about?"

She turned to face her mentor. "What?" She put on the most innocent face possible.

"Did you hear what we were talking about." Gingersnap was demanding now, her voice low and dangerous.

Moonpaw gulped and nodded faintly.

Gingersnap narrowed her eyes, flattened her ears and walked away.

Confused, Moonpaw finished her fish and headed over to her mother.

"Are you planning on leaving?"

Moonpaw froze again. "What makes you think that?" Her throat was raw.

Her mother glared sternly at her. "Echostar told me StarClan sent you a vision. You're too young to leave, so don't even think about it."

Angry now, Moonpaw hissed. "I can do what I want with my life, Minnowspeckle!"

Minnowspeckle growled. "No. I am your mother."

"And Echostar is the leader of RiverClan and she thinks I can go if I want to. What if the only reason I leave is because you're annoying?" Moonpaw retorted.

Minnowspeckle froze and flattened her ears. "Is that what you really think of me?" She murmured.

Moonpaw realised her mistake. "No!"

Suddenly angry again, Minnowspeckle growled. "Don't talk to me ever again!" She whipped around and stalked into the warriors den.

Moonpaw felt tears well in her eyes. "M-Minnowspeckle?" Mum?

Echostar came over to Moonpaw and wrapped her long, silky tail around the apprentice. "Are you okay?" She asked softly.

Moonpaw shook her head. "Minnows-speckle h-hates me!" She wailed.

Echostar hissed. "Minnowspeckle doesn't believe in you. Do what you need to do."

Understanding dawned within Moonpaw. "I need to get Lilacpaw if I want to leave, because she was in my vision too."

Echostar shook her head. "She'll leave when she's ready." Then she smiled softly. "Trust me, I know."

Confused, Moonpaw decided just to agree with her leader. "Thank you, Echostar. For everything."

Her leader chuckled quietly. "You're welcome, Moonstar."

Moonpaw felt power flow through her paws. She turned and ran.

Minnowspeckle screeched. "Moonpaw! Don't you dare!"

Moonpaw skidded to a halt and glared at her mother. She snarled. "Leave me alone! You hate me, why not let me go?"

Minnowspeckle flattened her ears. "I don't hate you." She murmured.

Moonpaw froze. She let her tail drag on the ground as she walked back over to her mother. She snuggled with her mother. "Goodbye, Minnowspeckle."

She felt a tear on her head. "Goodbye, Moonpaw."

Moonpaw squirmed away from her mother, blinking back tears. She turned and ran past the prey pile, grabbed a fish and fled from the camp. She raced through the willow trees, hurtling away from her only home. She stopped at the border, unsure of if she should actually leave her only home.

Yes. A voice told her, from deep inside.

Moonpaw nodded firmly and took a step forward, past the boundary of her - no, RiverClan's - territory. Goodbye, Minnowspeckle.

She started running again, slowly at first, but picking up speed. She hurtled through the woodland, unsure of what to do now. She skidded to a halt again at a small clearing. Oh. Oh wow.

The clearing in front of her was a perfect size for a camp. It had small cliff walls and little caves inside the cliffs. And around the cliffs were thick brambles, perfect to protect them from enemies. The clearing was slightly sandy and felt nice underpaw. Moonpaw dropped the fish and wolfed it down, licking her lips. She spun around, taking in the clearing and all its' beauty.

She spotted a mossy tree around the edge of the hollow and she scrambled up a cliff edge to reach it. She hooked her claws into a dangling vine and hauled herself up. She reached the mossy tree and started peeling the moss from it. She glanced at the growing heap beside her and decided that she had enough. She dropped her load into the clearing again and put some in little dips she dug out in each cave. She stood in a small cave opposite the entrance to the clearing and grinned. My den!

She placed a lot of moss in her nest and curled in it, sighing as she rested her screaming legs.

Moonpaw opened her eyes in the clearing and recognised it from real life. She saw cats milling around, doing their things and minding their own business.

A tom burst into the clearing from one of the dens. "Lilacfrond just had her kits!"

Moonpaw felt the body she was in - her future body - purr. "That's amazing! May I see them?"

"Of course!" The tom led the way back into the den - the nursery - to show Moonpaw Lilacpaw.

"Have you named them yet?" Moonpaw asked.

Lilacpaw/frond nodded. "The goldish-yellow tom with ginger tabby spots is Sunkit and his sister is Mintkit."

The tom beside her started purring again. That must be Scorchwing. Moonpaw thought.

She felt her head bend down to sniff the kits. "Welcome to MoonClan." She murmured.