Warriors: A New Beginning #1: The Beginning

Chapter 28

The four cats caught the attention of Dawnpool when they reached the camp entrance.

"Wavepelt?" Dawnpool mewed, confused. "I didn't see you leave camp. And Sunfur and Featherdapple...oh!" Her gaze rested on Ashpaw, and her eyes widened. "Ashpaw! The camp needs to know about this." She ran into camp, with Wavepelt, Sunfur, Featherdapple, and Ashpaw following her.

"Reedstar!" The orange and white she-cat dashed to the leader's den.

Wavepelt saw Smokepaw trudge out from the apprentices den. He probably couldn't sleep, she guessed. He was hit pretty hard when Ashpaw was taken.

Ashpaw's eyes sparkled when she saw her brother. "Smokepaw!"

Smokepaw looked up, his eyes getting brighter. "Ashpaw?" His face lit up as soon as he saw the light grey apprentice. "Ashpaw!" He ran and nuzzled his sister.

Now cats were beginning to come out into the camp, including Whitepaw.

"Ashpaw!" he cried. Then he looked up and saw his mother, father, and Wavepelt. "Did you get her?"

The three cats nodded.

Whitepaw's eyes widened in admiration. "So you disobeyed Reedstar?"

"That's not true—" started Sunfur, but was interrupted by Reedstar's call from Highrock.

Wavepelt ran with Ashpaw on her side to Highrock. When everyone was there, Reedstar meowed:

"You're probably wondering why I called this meeting in the middle of the night. But, you know that Ashpaw was kidnapped by a Twoleg this very dawn. But, it seems as if she was brought back by Featherdapple, Sunfur, and Wavepelt." He gazed warmly at the three cats.

Wavepelt widened her eyes. He's not punishing us?

"I know that I didn't want to send out a patrol," Reedstar continued, "for fear of all of you. But these three cats braved the Twoleg nest and freed Ashpaw."

"Featherdapple! Sunfur! Wavepelt!"

Wavepelt's eyes were so wide she felt like they would pop out. The Clan is cheering for us!

"I can't believe that you did that." Flamefur had appeared next to her, his eyes warm. "I wouldn't have been able to even set paw in a Twoleg nest."

"It was kind of creepy, but we made it." Wavepelt shuddered.

Then, in the darkness, she thought she could see two starlit outlines: Nightshade and Wolfpaw. She smiled at them.

"I was right," Nightshade murmured, then both he and Wolfpaw faded away.

What did Nightshade mean by that? Wavepelt thought. She blinked her bleary eyes, suddenly realizing how tired she felt.

"You look tired," commented Flamefur, as if echoing her thoughts.

Wavepelt nodded. "I haven't slept at all." She staggered blindly to her nest and sank gratefully into a deep sleep.

***

Wavepelt stared at the mouse, quietly looking around, its ears pricked up in alert. Then she sprang, catching the mouse with both paws and nipping it on the spine.

"Great catch!" mewed Treetail.

Wavepelt dipped her head. It had been a moon since Ashpaw's rescue, and the apprentice was getting better each day. Even though it was fun training Ashpaw, it felt nice to be hunting without her every once in a while. Mintleaf had borrowed her to go herb collecting.