A New Beginning

Chapter 23

"Dawnstar wake up!"

Dawnstar felt cold and tired. She didn't want to wake up. But she felt a cat shake her vigorously. Her eyes flew open as water came up her throat.

She threw up what seemed to be a whole river of water. She coughed violently. "Are you ok?" a cat asked.

Dawnstar turned around to see her savior. It was Copper! "What happened?" she croaked. "A strong wave hit us. You went unconscious and I hauled you onto the bank," Copper meowed.

The rain was still heavy as she looked around for anything familiar. Her heart sank as she saw the bank they stood on stretched out into moor. "We need to go, quickly! We're on Breezeclan territory, they can't find us here," she tried to get to her paws but exhaustion weighed her down.

Copper looked at the raging river beside them. The river was flooded. He knew as well as she did that there was no way to make it to the other side. "I will not let you lay out here in the rain. We have to shelter somewhere. Can't we just go to Breezeclan and ask for help," he meowed.

Dawnstar snorted, "That would make Dawnclan look weak. Besides we need to find out clanmates." she tried to climb to her paws again but Copper pushed her back down. She looked at him in disbelief. "I know I'm new and I have no authority to boss you around. But what I do know is that your important to the clan. Without you the clan would fall apart. You need to gain your strength back. Besides the clan has Minnowleap, they will be fine," he meowed.

Dawnstar looked at the river one last time before sighing, "Fine but I don't like this." "You don't have to. I will let you lean against you just have to guide me to the Breezeclan camp."

Dawnstar leaned heavily against him. She instructed him where to go. Her wet fur clung to her bones. She shivered as a cold wind pierced her exposed flesh.

The trek to the Breezeclan camp was long but they soon reached the top of the hollow. Dawnstar glanced wearily at the camp entrance. Frostleaf sat at on guard. Her eyes flashed with worry when she saw them.

She immediately rushed over to them and took some of her weight away from Copper. "What happened?" she meowed. Dawnstar looked at her with exhaustion, "I must speak to Breezestar." Frostleaf nodded hastily and guided them into the camp.

Dawnstar felt the rain pelt against her pelt harder here. Of course because the camp was fully open to the sky. There was very little cover on the moor.

Frostleaf dashed over to what she guessed was the leaders den and returned a moment later with Breezestar. Instead of him giving a hostile glare he looked at her with concern. "Come in my den where its warmer and drier," he beckoned with his tail for her to follow him.

Copper and Dawnstar stumbled into his den. It was a tight space but at least it was dry in here. Dawnstar wanted to shake out her soaked pelt but she didn't want to get Breezestar wet.

"Why are you here? Did something happen? You look exhausted," he asked worriedly.

He was right. She was exhausted. Mostly from the swim but also from the walk to the camp. "Our camp flooded. So we decided to cross the streams to get to the opposite side so we could find shelter. Every cat made it across unharmed. But me and Copper got swept away. I was knocked unconscious so I don't remember much but when I woke up I was on the bank on your side of the river. I don't know where my clanmates are now and we can't get across the river to find out if their safe or not."

Breezestar looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he turned back to Dawnstar and Copper. "I can't help you find your clanmates right now, but I can give you shelter and a dry nest. But first I want you to see Starberry," he meowed. Dawnstar shook her head, "I'm just tired that's all. I don't need to see a medicine cat."

That was a lie. Her head was pounding. She must have hit it on something while she was unconscious. Breezestar shook his head sternly, "I don't care. Your going to see Starberry and that's that." "Fine," she grumbled.

When she exited the den she flinched as the heavy rain drops pelted onto her skin. Frostleaf guided them to the medicine den and left to go to her nest. Starberry was asleep in her nest as they stepped into the den. Her eyes sleepily opened. She looked curiously at them both.

"Why are you here? Does Breezestar know?" she asked with a yawn. Dawnstar nodded, "Yes he does. If you want the full story ask him, I'm exhausted. Anyways my head is hurting really badly."

Starberry stared at her for a while before getting out of her nest and going to retrieve some herbs. The medicine cat came back with a few poppy seeds.

"Eat these. They will help with the pain," she instructed. Dawnstar lapped up the poppy seeds quickly. Starberry looked at their soaked pelts. "Is it that bad outside?"

Dawnstar sighed and sat down heavily, "Yes its really bad. I didn't even know there would be a storm until it started raining." Starberry looked outside the den. The rain kept coming down harder and harder.

"You two can stay in here for the night. I don't want you going out there and just getting even more wet. Besides, the warriors wouldn't welcome you as lightly as I have," Starberry pointed two empty nests. They weren't the best but they would do.

Dawnstar thanked Starberry and went over to the nests. She climbed into one while Copper climbed into the other. She curled into a tight ball. As soon as her eyes closed she slipped into sleep.

*_____________*

Dawnstar's eyes flew open as the tickle of soft grass appeared underneath her. She sprang to her paws and looked around. Leafy green meadows stretched out before her. She recognized the place as Starclan.

Oh know what do they want this time! I'm sure the clans are somehow in danger once again.

As she looked around for a Starclan warrior something wet flowed over her paws. She looked down quickly. Dark sticky water type substance covered her paws. It began to rise. The water pulled at her belly fur at it got higher. Dawnstar looked around with panic.

The grassy meadows of Starclan were no longer before her. It was just darkness. She could hear the roar of water in her ears. She yelped as the sticky liquid climbed up her neck. Dawnstar tried to swim but it was too dense.

She closed her eyes as it flowed over her face. Dawnstar took a deep breath as it finally flowed over her muzzle. She thrashed underneath the water. Her lungs burned for air. She swam up but it was like an endless amount of water. Just as she was about to run out of air she heard a whisper in her ear.

"If the clans do not make peace soon and learn to forgive each other, then you all will perish."