Dawnkit's Journey

Chapter Four-

Dawn stood in an open field, grass waving at her. The wind rustled her fur, and the sky shone with a bright sun, not clouded. Dawn was a little bigger than she was in the waking world. Only one other cat was here. A Flame colored tom with bright, forest green eyes. His shoulders flexed, and his muscle rippled under his pelt. Dawn felt tiny under his piercing gaze. Even though it was friendly.

"I'm Firestar, one of the greatest leaders any clan has known. I was leader of a clan once known as ThunderClan. It's long gone now, it's descendants are in a diffrent territory. I have traveled many skies, battled many enemies to find you." His voice drifted over Dawn like honey. She felt safe looking at him. What are these skies and enemies he talks of? Dawn thought to herself.

"Where am I?" She whispered. He sniffed.

"In your StarClan. It's not like mine, that's for sure. Mine is a forest, a territory. This is a field, a safe place. You do not know of StarClan?" He asked, bewildered. Dawn looked at him closer.

"I don't even know what it should mean to me." Dawn admitted. He turned around, and his tail swayed from side to side.

"Follow me." He commanded, then padded away. A fog started to set on the green hill, and as Dawn walked forward, it swallowed her.

"Listen to my voice. Don't stray away, or you might not return." Firestar called from somewhere in the mist. Dawn stumbled forward blindly, and then the fog cleared. It revealed a forest, filled with cats of all shapes, sizes, colors, and genders. Dawn gaped when she saw stars litter their fur. She then realized Firestar had them in his fur too. She wanted to dart away, to go home, but she knew that was not an option. The forest gave way to a clearing, and a waterfall rested at the far side. It spilled down the rocks like gold, and a few cats swam in the stream it created. When they emerged, the water slid off their pelts smoothly, and their fur was sleek. She loomed back at Firestar. He looked at the cats, content. She flinched when he turned his eyes back to her.

"This is my StarClan. Cats who die come here, and have endless hunting and protection. Well, most." His lip curled. Dawn didn't ask. He looked at a sandy she-cat, affection in his eyes. He turned back to Dawn. "Very few cats can speak to their ancestors, mainly Medicine Cats and the clan leader. And even fewer have great destinies. You, are one of them."

She stared at him.

"Get me out of here. This isn't real, it's some dream. Someone poisoned me, this isn't real." She whispered.

"It's very real, and now you're a part of it." The forest started to fade, and his voice drifted through the air. His green eyes swirled in the air for moment before disappearing completely. Dawn was left in blackness.

~•~

Dawn jerked awake, out of breath and scared. Her fear scent was just barely able to be smelled because of the herbs in the den. It was a cave, dipping far down into the ground, lined with moss and holes dug by the walls that Dawn assumed to be filled with herbs. A nest was on the other side from where Dawn was. A brown shape filled it. Dawn stood slowly, and blinked the sleep away. She stepped out of her nest, and darted away from the den. She heard the shape get up, but kept moving. The den finally gave away to an opening, and light filled her vision. She didn't stop running.

She stumbled to a stop when she ran into something fuzzy. Her eyes adjusted to the light, and she saw she was on a Silver paw. She looked up and saw two pretty bright green eyes looking back at her with surprise. She yelped, and ran away. A reed bed was at the edge of the sandy dirt ground. She headed towards it, and crouched in the reeds. Paws came towards her, the silver paws. A silver face parted the reeds, and the green eyes were there. Dawn quivered with fear. The she-cat stuck her paw around Dawn, and pulled her out gently. Dawn squeaked as she came face to face with this stranger. The she-cat looked friendly, but she still scared Dawn.

"Who are you, young one?" The she-cat mewed. Dawn looked into her eyes. Kindness was there.

"Dawn." She replied.

"I'm Mintstar. Leader of JadeClan. You are in JadeClan's camp, I heard we would be having a guest." She purred. Dawn felt a little more comfortable, and relaxed a bit. "You're Dawn, correct?"

"Yes." Dawn replied.

"You're bone and skin. Didn't anyone feed you?" She looked over to a brown tom with brown eyes that was laying in the sun. "Rockleaf! Would you get a mouse for Dawn please?"

"Sure!" He bounced up and snatched a large mouse from a pile of food. Dawn's mouth watered at all the food that was there. Her stomach rumbled loudly as he set the brown mouse in front of her. She looked at him.

"Thank you." She mewed politely before looking at Mintstar. She modded.

"Eat. You look as if you hadn't eaten anything good since you were born." Mintstar had sympathy in her eyes. Dawn bent down, a whisker from the mouse, then bit down into it. The warmth of it flooded her mouth, and she devoured the mouse in a few bites. She looked up at Mintstar, and was pleased her stomach no longer rumbled. "How old are you?"

"About a moon or so." Dawn replied before picking the rest of the nest off the mouse scraps. Mintstar looked taken aback.

"A moon. And your mother left you?" Dawn snapped her head up, eyes teary.

"She didn't leave me!" Dawn yowled, and ran back into the Reed bed.

They rustled around her as she struggled to stay calm. She was doubled over the little pool, panting.

She didn't abandon me.