Warriors: A Dawn Rising

Chapter Eleven

               Dawnflight followed her sister's scent through the forest, she knew for a fact that Leafshine ended things with Tigerheart after the kits were born, so who could she possibly be meeting now?

            She stopped by a small clearing blocked by thorn bushes, climbing up a tree, Dawnflight saw two RockClan apprentices, a DropClan warrior, Leafshine, and a ThornClan apprentice. "Pathetic, Ashpaw! Remember to hook your claws into your enemy's fur!" Crowfang was instructing, the RockClan apprentice, Ashpaw, crouched against the DropClan warrior. He leaped and sunk his claws into his scruff. "Better!"

            Leafshine yawned, tail twitching. "Isn't Ashpaw amazing?" The other RockClan apprentice gushed, Leafshine rolled her eyes.

            "Webclaw, you'll want to attack head-first into Ashpaw's stomach. This will send him backwards." Crowfang advised, the DropClan tom nodded and crouched down as the apprentice got into position. He leaped and Webclaw slammed the apprentice to the ground. Dawnflight winced. They were training so roughly!

           Dawn began to rise as Crowfang ended the training session, the cats heading away into their territories. Dawnflight dropped down to face the black tom. "Were you spying on us?" He scoffed, tail lashing. "If you really want to learn, just ask."

             "I want to know why you're training these cats. This is against the code." She snarled, claws unsheathing.

            "Once I earn Sparkstar's total trust, he'll appoint me as deputy. Then I'll kill him off by sending him into dangerous situations, once I'm leader, I'll take over the rest of the Clans!" Crowfang hissed, shoving his face into Dawnflight's. "Not only will you be joining me now, but if you speak of this to anyone, I will personally kill your sister." He turned and stalked off, Dawnflight stared after him, panic rising in her. He can't force me to come, right?

            Chills went down her spine as she padded away into the trees, she glanced back then raced away, bursting into camp. "Woah, are you okay?" Bluewhisker asked, she was on guard for the camp.

            "I'm alright. I just wanted to be here to hear the patrols." She lied, leaping down the tumble of rocks as the sun began rising above the trees.

            Spiderclaw was first to wake up as he yawned and slid out of the warriors den. Dawnflight hurried to meet him by the hollow. "Can I go on patrol this morning?" She asked eagerly, he looked at her.

             "I suppose you could join a border patrol." He decided, she glanced across camp to see Cedarheart and Lionflame waking up their apprentices. Dawnflight hoped she'd have an apprentice of her own soon. "I'll have Leopardblaze and Brindlemask join you."

           "How about Rosefall too?" Dawnflight asked, he nodded and the golden-brown warrior padded towards the warriors den. "Brindlemask, Leopardblaze, Rosefall!" She whisper-shouted, the warriors groaned and woke up, blinking the sleep out of their eyes. "We're going to do a border patrol by ThornClan." The three she-cats slid out of the den and joined Dawnflight by the entrance.

           "Every time we go near ThornClan, something bad always happens." Leopardblaze huffed, scrunching up her face. "I bet they're called ThornClan for their attitudes."

           "Spiderclaw named me leader of the patrol, Leopardblaze, so you'll listen to me and not yourself." Dawnflight snarled, turning and heading away into the trees. Rosefall was right next to her at a steady pace.

           "Can we hunt on the way back? I'm starving!" She exclaimed, licking her lips. Dawnflight flicked her tail dismissively, she couldn't stop thinking about Crowfang's warning. Would Sparkstar really listen to him? "Something on your mind?"