A New Beginning

Chapter 25

Dawnstar held her breath as they made their way through the forest. Her old home felt darker and more mysterious than the last time she had been here. She jumped at every noise, imagining her old clanmates slimming through the shadows to come hunt her down.

She shivered. She couldn't imagine having to fight against Squirrelstar, Nightpelt, or especially Shadeleaf. Dawnstar looked at her paws. She missed her brother. She missed their training lessons and his goofy nature.

"We're approaching the camp," Breezestar whispered. Dawnstar's head snapped up. She could see the entrance to the camp through the rain. Dawnstar's breath caught in her throat when she saw the cat who was on guard.

It was her old mentor, Fishstream. As they neared him the cream colored tom jumped to his paws. His eyes rounded with concern when he saw Dawnstar. "What's going on? I'm guessing its urgent since you've decided to come in the middle of the night," he meowed.

Dawnstar glanced at Breezestar. He was looking at her expectantly, urging her to speak to her old mentor. Why doesn't he speak! He knows I'm still not comfortable with talking to my old clanmates.

Dawnstar sighed and looked at Fishstream. "We are here to speak with Squirrelstar," she meowed. Fishstream's eyes suddenly narrowed and his fur started to bristle. "Why?" he growled.

"That's clan leader business," she growled. Dawnstar winced as she saw a glimpse of hurt in his eyes. But it quickly disappeared. "Fine, follow me," he meowed.

Dawnstar and Breezestar followed Fishstream into the camp. Her nose wrinkled as the strong scent of Shadeclan hit her nose. She couldn't believe how she ever liked that smell. She looked around the camp, looking for some images from her kithood and her early apprentice moons. She recognized the nursery and the apprentices den immediately.

Fishstream left them in the middle of the camp and went to wake Squirrelstar. Dawnstar waited for her mother quietly. She shuffled her paws in the dirt nervously.

The rain was still pelting down when the sun started to rise into the sky. Squirrelstar finally emerged from her den with Fishstream and Nightpelt. Nightpelt's eyes glowed when he saw her.

Squirrelstar just glared at her daughter through narrowed slits. "What do you want?" her mother growled. "Breezestar and I need to speak with you. Privately," she meowed. By this time warriors started to emerge from their dens.

When they saw Breezestar and Dawnstar they stopped and watched with interest. Dawnstar stiffened when she saw Shadeleaf walk out of the warriors den. She caught his eye but he quickly turned away.

Squirrelstar's snort made her snap her gaze back to the Shadeclan leader. "What ever you two have to say can be said in front of the whole clan. After all, keeping secrets isn't always the best thing to do," she growled and looked pointedly at Dawnstar.

Dawnstar scowled at her mother. Breezestar's fur began to rise, "Fine, if that's what you want." He nodded to Dawnstar to speak.

She took a deep breath and began, "I had a dream last night. I was in Starclan and then the scheme suddenly changed. This weird sticky water type thing started flowing over me. It just kept on rising until I was completely under water. I tried to swim up to the surface but it was to dense to swim in. Then I heard a whisper in my ear that said, 'If the clans do not make peace soon and learn to forgive each other, then you all will soon perish.'"

Squirrelstar's ears twitched, "But that doesn't make since. There is peace between the clans. And if its to do with all the clans then why didn't we include Branchstar."

Dawnstar looked at Breezestar nervously. Squirrelstar wasn't going to like this next part. Breezestar's eyes narrowed, "We didn't invite Branchstar because this is an issue between Shadeclan, Dawnclan, and Breezeclan. Dawnstar and I both are having trouble with Shadeclan."

Squirrelstar's head snapped around to face Dawnstar. "Shadeclan and Dawnclan don't even share a border so how is that possible," she hissed in a low voice. Dawnstar looked into her mothers angry eyes.

"Ever since I have returned you have dispised me. I know what I did was wrong but it was under Starclan's orders. I must ask for your forgiveness for the good of Dawnclan and the rest of the clans," Dawnstar meowed strongly. Her mother was now bristling with rage.

"How dare you ask for forgiveness! We held vigil for you. I mourned for you. I will never forgive you! And what can Starclan do? They can't kill any cat," she growled. Dawnstar looked at her mother sadly, "Dawnclan has had to move away from our camp. The rain was so heavy that the camp flooded and we had to move. One of my clanmates and I were swept away from the rest of the clan. Their is a queen and kits and an apprentice out their in the forest alone and scared. I think this is what Starclan means."

Squirrelstar glanced at Nightpelt. The black tom was looking at her with fear in his eyes. "Squirrelstar, we can't risk it. Dawnclan was lucky they didn't have any deaths. But if you don't forgive Dawnstar then we might be the first clan that has the first death. Please just forgive her! Think about our clanmates," he pleaded gently.

Squirrelstar lashed her tail angrily, "I am thinking about my clanmates, and I think it isn't safe to trust her. She could be lying to us. After all, she has before. If Starclan wants peace then they should have sent the message to an experienced leader. Not a foolish young cat." Dawnstar glanced at Breezestar with dismay.

Breezestar looked from Squirrelstar to Dawnstar with panic. "Squirrelstar you have to listen to us!" he pleaded. Squirrelstar stared at him with blazing amber eyes. "Until I have heard from Starclan directly or something horrible happens I will not listen to you two. Shadeleaf, Rosethorn guide them to the border. Make sure they leave our territory," the Shadeclan leader growled and stalked away.

Dawnstar stared after her in sadiness. Why wouldn't her mother just listen to her! Dawnstar's heart cracked when her father glanced at her sadly before following Squirrelstar. She tensed when Shadeleaf walked over to her.

He had his head down, making sure not to make eye contact with her. She wanted to talk him and make it all right. But she knew she couldn't. Rosethorn and Shadeleaf guided them out of the Shadeclan camp and into the pine forest.

Dawnstar stared at her paws the whole way there. Until Shadeleaf brushed gently against her. Her head snapped up to look at him. But his head was still lowered as they kept walking. She couldn't hold it back any longer.

"You can't ignore me forever," she hissed quietly so only he could hear it. He pricked his ears as she spoke but didn't say a word. "I am your sister Shadeleaf! You have to understand that I had to leave. I didn't have a choice," she whispered more loudly.

Rosethorn glanced at her but didn't say anything. Shadeleaf was now looking at Dawnstar sadly. "But you didn't have to make us think you were dead. Death takes a great toll on every cat. You could have told Squirrelstar. She would have understood!" he mewed.

Dawnstar sighed and got ready to tell him the full truth. "I know I hurt Squirrelstar. At the time I wanted to. Before I ran away we had a fight. She had pulled me aside and told me that I might not get my warriors name in time because I wasn't doing very well with my training. I was scared and upset, Shadeleaf. I wasn't thinking. She is so mad at me now because she knows what she did wrong. And she thought it was all her fault. I can't imagine how she could have felt and I don't want to," she meowed.

Shadeleaf gasped, "Oh Dawnstar, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. She shouldn't have said that and if I had heard that then I would have done the same thing. I know now why it took such a big impact on Squirrelstar. But it did hurt Dawnstar. Thinking you were dead." Dawnstar touched her nose to his ear, "I know. I didn't want it to hurt for you or Nightpelt. At the time I wanted it to only hurt Squirrelstar. But now I know why that was such a bad idea. Are we good now? Brother and sister again?"

Shadeleaf purred and licked her cheek, "Of course. You will always be my sister. I've missed you so much Dawnstar." She rubbed her muzzle against his cheek, "I've missed you too."

She longed for this moment to never end. She had missed her brother so much.