Dawnberry's Escape

Chapter 6

  "What?" Bluekit exclaimed, staring at Morningkit. "You're not going to be a warrior with us?" 

  "What's so fun about sorting herbs?" Dawnkit gaped at Morningkit in disbelief. 

  "What's so fun about fighting?" Morningkit countered. "I asked Nightleaf and she said yes! She said she's going to tell Brightstar soon." 

  "But we won't train together!" Dawnkit realized. "I thought you wanted to be a warrior!" 

  "Spottedkit wanted to be a warrior. I want to be a medicine cat." Morningkit declared. 

  Dawnkit felt sadness overwhelm her as she was reminded by Spottedkit. "But-" 

  "It's Morningkit's decision." Streamlight interrupted. "I'm so proud of you!" She gave Morningkit a soppy lick on her forehead. "I'm going to have warriors and a medicine cat! You'll learn so much and you'll share with StarClan..." Streamlight purred, and stretched. "I'm going to get some fish. You must be hungry." 

  Sunkit overheard their conversation, and sprang over. "Well, I want to be a warrior. And I'll be leader as well!" She was bowled over by Pebblekit. "You're not leader. I am!" The two kits writhed in the nursery, but Graykit never joined in. Instead she was looking at Morningkit curiously. 

  "Who's Spottedkit?" She asked innocently. Morningkit froze and glanced at Dawnkit and Bluekit. 

  "Um..." Morningkit shifted her paws, looking uncomfortable. "You mentioned him." Bluekit hissed in her ear. 

  "Well..." Morningkit looked as if she'd like to be anywhere but there. Fortunately for her, Mistpool heard and chided. "Graykit! Your fur looks like a mess!" Mistpool started washing Graykit's clean and and smooth fur again. 

  Streamlight returned with a large fish. "This greenleaf brought a lot of prey." Mistpool agreed. "Now that Shellflower is back in the warriors den and Minnowpaw and Whitepaw are apprentices, there will be more room for these little warriors, and medicine cat, to play." 

  Dawnkit's ears pricked as she thought of not being squashed up again in the nursery, but she'll miss Whitekit's jokes and Minnowkit's playfights. 

  ***

  Dawnkit opened her eyes, stretching as the sunlight shone on her. It was just after dawn, and the sunlight was brighter than ever. Her denmates were all still asleep, so Dawnkit tried to fall back into a slumber, but she couldn’t. 

  "Streamlight!" Dawnkit hissed quietly, shaking her mother. "Streamlight!" The creamy she-cat opened one eye, annoyed. 

  "Yes, Dawnkit?" She yawned, clearly being woken from a very good dream. 

  "I can't sleep. Can I go outside, please? I'll just do something very quiet in the clearing." Dawnkit asked, and Streamlight nodded, then fell back to a deep slumber. 

  Carefully Dawnkit made her way out into the bright clearing, and basked in the sunlight.

   Dawnkit saw the near empty fresh-kill pile, with only a minnow and a small water vole, so she took the minnow and ate the sweet flesh of the fish.

  After she finished her meal, Dawnkit wanted to learn how to swim, but there was no one to teach her, so she practiced some fighting moves by herself.

  Dawnkit imagined a ThunderClan invasion, and snarled. She leapt onto an imaginary warrior, and clung on, scratching at his back. Picturing a paw clawing at her, she jumped off quickly, and spun around to bring her paw, claws unsheathed, on the intruder’s head. 

  She imagined the warrior hissing at her, and he lunged. Dawnkit hissed back and waited until she saw the shadow of the warrior above her. She reared on her hind legs, clawed on the intruder’s soft stomach and darted away. 

  Dawnkit was ready to fight another warrior, but a familiar voice made her jump. 

  “Neat moves, Dawnkit. Not bad at all.” The RiverClan deputy, Splashfoot, was watching her. “You’ll make a fine warrior.” 

  Dawnkit glowed with pride. The deputy had praised her! 

  “Why aren’t you in your nest?” Splashfoot asked, not unkindly. 

  “I couldn’t sleep, so I started to practice my battle moves. Streamlight said yes. I’m going to be an apprentice soon, so I have to be ready!” Dawnkit purred, remembering that she is almost six moons old. 

  "Well, since I haven't a patrol to sort out, let show you how to swim." Splashfoot mewed, leading the way to the shallow stream where new apprentices and older kits learn to swim. Dawnkit followed enthusiastically. 

   "The trick is to keep moving your paws. and keep your head up above the water so you can breathe. Of course, you won't be swimming in water this shallow all the time, but its your first time." Splashfoot tried to demonstrate, but the water barely lapped his belly fur, so he waded out. 

  The water reached Dawnkit's chin, and she had to tilt her head to breathe properly. She started to kick her paws, moving forward slowly, her head bobbing in the cool waters. I'm swimming! Dawnkit thought merrily. 

  "Come back." Dawnkit heard Splashfoot's call, turned around and paddled back. Her legs were aching slightly, but she had learned how to swim! 

  "Well done." Splashfoot nodded in approval. "Now all thats left is for you to endure long swimming distances and currents. That's up to your mentor. Let's return to camp." 

  Dawnkit shook her pelt dry before hurrying after him, drops of water forming a trail on the warm forest floor. She mewed a goodbye to Splashfoot, who gave her a nod. 

  "Dawnkit!" Streamlight called, scanning the camp. Uh oh. 

  "Dawnkit! Dawn- oh! There you are! Where have you been?" Her mother scolded. "Why are you wet? Did you go swimming by yourself?" 

  "No I was with-" Dawnkit began, but she was cut off.

  "No excuses!" Streamlight hissed. "I said you can go out but not swim! You go out one more time and Bluekit will be a warrior before you!" 

  "But-" Dawnkit protested, but once again she was interrupted. Annoyed, she turned her head to the source of the yowling. 

  Whitepaw burst into camp, out of breath and with a torn ear. She was bleeding from a few scratches on his body and the Clan stared at her. 

  Panting, she yowled again frantically. "We've been attacked!"