-1"Wake up! Something was tugging at Dovepaws fur. Wha, what?" She lifted her head. Tigerheart was looming over her. "Move!" He hissed. Dovepaw scrambled into the bushes panting.
"Tigerheart! Where were you? I was so worried!" Tawnypelt exclaimed, licking her son all over. "I'm fine." He growled, shaking his mother off. His father Rowenclaw padded up beside Tawnypelt. "You will be confined to the camp until you've learned not to stray from the camp and stay out all night!" Rowenclaw hissed angrily.
Dovepaw winced. They were being so mean to Tigerheart. Bristling, she ran back to camp, catching three mice along the way. Setting the mice on the fresh kill pile Dovepaw hurried to the apprentices den to get some sleep before Lionblaze woke her up. She had barely mad it into the apprentices den before she heard Lionblaze call out. Groaning, she half stumbled into the clearing. "Brambleclaw wants us to go on a border patrol." He meowed. Nodding, Dovepaw followed Lionblaze, Icecloud, and Thornclaw out of the camp. Casting her senses out she heard Jayfeather and Cinderheart collecting Tansy by the Windclan border.
"Dovepaw! Icecloud yowled. Watch out!" Dovepaw slammed into a fallen tree. She stood up shaking off the leaves and debris. Lionblaze looked ready to burst with laughter but instead he nodded and led the patrol uphill.
" I smell Riverclan." Icecloud hissed. "Their patrol passed by not to long ago." Dovepaw observed listening to the sound of paw steps fade away into the distance. Icecloud looked at Dovepaw with her eyes narrowed. "Dovepaw's right." Thornclaw backed her up. "Now lets get back to camp. Firestar will be deciding who to take to the gathering." Thornclaw led the way through the trees until they reached the camp.
"Ya'll are just in time! Ivypaw bounded up beside Dovepaw. Firestar just called a meeting.!" Sitting behind Dustpelt, Dovepaw looked up at what the Thunderclan leader was saying. "The cats who I'm taking to the gathering are Dustpelt, Mousefur, Daisy, Graystripe, Whitewing, Brambleclaw, Lionblaze, and Thornclaw. The rest of you will stay and guard the camp." Firestar jumped down from the rock. Dovepaw ran up beside Firestar. "Please let me go!" She wailed. Firestar looked at her sternly. "You need to stay at the camp and guard it." He meowed. "It's not like there's going to be an attack." Dovepaw scoffed. "All right you can come, but stick with your mother. He meowed. I've been to a gathering before!" I don't need watching over! Dovepaw exclaimed. Do you want to come?" Dovepaw nodded her head. Then deal with it." he growled. He lead the way out of the camp and over the ravine. " I hope I see Tigerheart." Dovepaw murmured. "What?" Graystripe looked at Dovepaw with concern. "Oh nothing I just want to get to the gathering." Dovepaw mewed. After crossing the bridge the Thunderclan cats sat down among all the other cats. She looked over at Shadowclan to look for Tigerheart. She saw his pelt among the other jumble of pelts. 'Stop staring at Tigerheart!" Whitewing hissed. "You look like an owl!" Dovepaw turned around and looked up at the leaders. Blackstar was speaking.
" Crowfrost has joined the elders den. He was saying. The two-legs have been no threat to us and there is plenty of fresh kill. Shadowclan borders are strong and we will let no other clan cross them! He stared defiantly at Thunderclan. Dovepaw noticed Dustpelt and Whitewing had their hackles raised and Brambleclaw was standing on his paws. Firestar stood up.
" We understand what borders are. We have been scenting Shadowclan far inside are border. It's one cat and we don't know who it is yet but when we find out he will be in big trouble and we don't not tolerate any nuisance in the clan! Firestar growled. "Otherwise… we have had no trouble with two-legs and the prey is plentiful." He finished. Mistystar moved tworeds the other end of the branch. Hoping off to lead her clan to her camp. "Wait, the gatherings over?" Dovepaw asked her mother. 'Yes. She replied. "While you were staring at Shadowclan Mistystar and Onestar spoke." Lets get back to camp." Dovepaw followed her mom until was close enough to speak to Tigerheart. "Hey!" She hissed. The tom turned tworeds her. Who are you?" He asked. "Oh um sorry wrong cat." Dovepaw turned and ran tworeds Thunderclan. "Apprentices." Muttered the warrior.
"I wish Tigerheart could of come." Dovepaw murmured. "I understand that you want to see him because of the journey but you two are in separate clans. He didn't come cause he got in trouble." Dovepaw turned to see Tawnypelt, Tigerheart's mother. Don't worry I'm not mad." Tawnypelt soothed Dovepaw. I'm not surprised you want to see Tigerheart. She continued. "I knew you were there when Tigerheart was caught." Tawnypelt laughed. I could smell you In the bushes. I know Thunderclan sent as well as my own clan. She meowed. Who knows what you two are doing. Just don't brake the warrior code… she paused and looked at Dovepaw's stomach. "I'm only an apprentice! Dovepaw exclaimed. I wouldn't do such a thing. My loyalty is to my clan over any other cat." Dovepaw mewed. "That's exactly what I would of said." Tawnypelt meowed. Dovepaw felt like she was her apprentice. Thanks. She stammered. I'll tell him you said hi." Tawnypelt meowed standing up. Goodbye Dovepaw. Tawnypelt padded tworeds Brambleclaw. "You should get back together with Squirellflight." Dovepaw heard Tawnypelt murmur to her brother. Brambleclaw bristled and growled something in reply. Thunderclan let's go! At Firstar's call The Thunderclan cats began to push their way to the edge of the crowd where Firestar was waiting.
"Be careful when you land off the tree. Whitewing warned Dovepaw. "I got it." She growled gripping her claws into the slippery bark to keep from falling.
After padding through most of Thunderclan territory Dovepaw heard something. She cast her senses out further and heard foxes heading tworeds them. "Foxes! Dovepaw shrieked. Firestar raced tworeds her. "Are you sure?" He asked. She wouldn't lie. Jayfeather backed her up. Okay. Everyone back to camp now! Firestar yowled. The cats began racing through the trees until they reached the camp. Everything was quit and calm. Here they come!" Dovepaw shrieked shaking slightly. The elders were rushing into the nursery along with some warriors to protect them. The barrier trembled then crashed down as huge foxes with white fangs ran to the cats. The clearing exploded into battle. Lionblaze was wrestling with a fox bigger than him. Dovepaw ran to help but she was pulled back by a fox. It's teeth embedded in her tail. Screeching she pulled her tail free and flung herself at the fox. Jumping on top of it she clawed the fox until it fell to the ground. Dovepaw leaped back into the battle. She raced to Ivypaw who was struggling to get a grip on a fox almost as big as her. She fell into step with Ivypaw. Matching their blows every time. The fox turned tail and fled. Dovepaw searched franticly for her mother. She was guarding the elders and queens. She turned her head and gasped in surprise. "Birchfall!" Dovepaw shrieked as she watched her father fall to the ground. She raced tworeds him, picked him up, and dragged him into the apprentices den. A fox must of picked up her scent cause it ran into the apprentices den. Dovepaw fought vainly, struggling to remember the battle moves Lionblaze had taught her. The fox swiped it's massive paw at Dovepaw's throat. Blood welled from her shoulder and mouth. She staggered and fell in to nothingness sinking beside her father.
Dovepaw woke up. Cats where circled around her. "Dad!" Dovepaw yowled. Blood gurgled in her throat. Jayfeather shoed the cats away and covered her in more cobwebs. 'Your father's fine. Jayfeather assured her. "Will she be okay?" Dovepaw faintly heard her mother, Ivypaw, and Jayfeather talking quietly. "Yes. She's in shock but she will be fine. Jayfeather sounded very unsure. "I don't want to die!" Dovepaw screamed, trying to ignore the pain that went threw her body. "Your not!" Jayfeather soothed her. 'You will be fine." He promised. "Why is Leafpool in here? Dovepaw whispered. Jayfeather lifted his head. "Do you have any injuries?" He asked Leafpool. "No." She answered. "I was wondering if I could help." "Yes. Yes." Jayfeather scrambled to his paws and grabbed some herbs for Leafpool to make a poultries with. "I thought you didn't like Leafpool." Dovepaw asked. Jayfeather bristled. "I need all the help I can get right now. He meowed. "I could help!" Dovepaw scrambled to sit up. Pain shot through her leg as she flopped back down. Dovepaw bit her tongue so hard to keep from yowling she made it bleed. "I hate being so helpless!" Dovepaw yowled. "I want some food." She mewed weekly. "I'll get you some." Jayfeather stood up to go out of the den "No. Dovepaw meowed. I want to try. Your hurt. He pointed out. Fine." Dovepaw sighed. She took a look at her leg and it looked normal. She stretched it out and winced. Jayfeather came back in. "Eat your food then I'll help you outside. Why? Dovepaw asked, her mouth full of food. Jayfeather turned away not looking her in the eyes. Had something gone wrong? Dovepaw was suddenly desperate to get outside. "I'm ready." She announced. Jayfeather and Leafpool helped her up. Jayfeather brought more cobwebs in case of her neck bleeding.
Dovepaw limped to where the other cats were huddled around in a circle. They made a space in the circle beside Ivypaw and Whitewing. Their eyes were full of grief. "Good thing you are well enough to come out." Ivypaw joked halfheartedly. Dovepaw smelled rosemary. "Did someone die?" Dovepaw asked her Mother. "Where's Dad? "Yes, someone died. Her mother looked at Dovepaw sadly. Dovepaw walked up to the cat who was covered in rosemary. She looked at the cats face. No, no! She yowled. She threw her head up in the air. She whirled around on Jayfeather. "You lied!" She yowled! "It was Firstar's idea! Jayfeather protested. Dovepaw's grief was more than ever. Her heart was about to explode. Ivypaw pressed up against her. Why? Dovepaw asked. Why did it have to be dad? She buried her head in her father's fur. She felt blood well around her. "Jayfeather and Leafpool carried her back into the medicine cat den. Leafpool pressed cobwebs onto Dovepaw's neck. She looked more focused than she she'd been in moons. "Goodbye dad." She whispered as she closed her eyes.
"Dad!" Dovepaw yowled. She ran up to her dad. He was no longer covered in rosemary and Dovepaw was no longer hurt. Am I dead?" She asked Birchfall. "No. He laughed. You have a long time yet to live. I came to tell you something." He meowed. I know that you… his voice faded as Dovepaw woke up into another dream.
Dovepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Dovesong.
Dovesong! Ivytail! Dovesong! Ivytail! The clan chanted. It had been 2 moons since the fox attack. With extra training the only way to remember the almost fatal attack was the scar on Dovesong's neck and The death of Birchfall. Dovesong was sure that her father was watching from above. "You are a great warrior. She heard the words through the wind. She breathed her dads sent and welcome the praise of the clan. "You will sit vigil tonight. Firestar meowed. "Your mentors will tell you when your off duty. Nodding the two cats padded to the camp entrance to guard the camp for the long night.
"You guys get some rest today and tomorrow we will go on border patrols and such." Cinderheart meowed. Dovesong fell asleep almost instantly. Always she tried to find out what her father was trying to tell her that one night a couple of moons ago but the answer never came. Dovesong woke up. "It was time to meet Tigerheart. Slipping out the camp and past the guard she padded to the Shadowclan border.
"Dovepaw! Tigerheart exclaimed greeting her. "Dovesong now!" She teased. I'm a warrior now. She boasted. You are? Tigerheart asked. I never would of noticed! He teased. Dovesong cuffed him around the ear. "Stop that!" She teased. Looking into his eyes she saw love and she was sure that Tigerheart saw love to. " love you." She murmured. She drank in Tigerheart's sweet sent and settled down beside him. "I love you too." He quietly whispered.