Chapter 1 is out! Hope you enjoyed the Prologue! Sorry, this chapter may be a little boring and short but I promise the next chapter will be better! Also, as a side not, if you have not yet read Book 1: Raising Shadows , you may want to read that first in order to understand what's going on! Please Read, Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 1
The cold air whipped across Dawnflower's face. She sneezed as a single stalk of grass tickled her nose. She picked her head up and looked around. She was just taking a nap outside of the warriors den. It was warmer when she fell asleep but now it was cold. She stood up, yawned and stretched.
"Dawnflower! Dawnflower!" The warrior heard a familiar voice call her name. She looked up to Fogpaw on the other side of the clearing. "Dawnflower, wanna come on a patrol with Stripedpelt and I?"
Dawnflower nodded at the dark gray tom. He had only been an apprentice for half a moon but the young cat already acted like he knew everything.
"Sure Fogpaw," Dawnflower mewed, padding over to the camp entrance. "Is this a hunting patrol or border patrol, Stripedpelt?"
"Well this was just going to be a hunting patrol with Fogpaw and I but Oakclaw wanted me to take a patrol to Riverclan. Fogpaw, go get Snowfoot to come with us," Stripedpelt meowed. The apprentice ran off eagerly to get the other white warrior, who was also his father.
"It's been quiet around Riverclan territory, they don't freshen their scent markers that much anymore," Stripedpelt informed Dawnflower.
"Suspicious activity is never good," Dawnflower replied.
"No activity is even worse," the tom meowed, shaking his head.
"Dawnflower, Stripedpelt. Are we ready to go?" Snowfoot came up behind the two cats followed by Fogpaw. Stripedpelt nodded and they headed out.
They headed towards Sunningrocks quietly. Every cats fur stood on end. Going into the forest was risky now that four powerful rogues were loose. Dawnflower didn't think there was anything to worry about since they had not smelled Horsestorm or any of his follower anywhere near Thunderclan territory.
"This is scary," Fogpaw whispered to Dawnflower as he came up next to her.
"Why? There isn't anything to be scared of. Horsestorm isn't here," Dawnflower replied.
"Yeah but what if he's just disguising his scent? What if he's watching us right now?" The apprentice ventured on.
"He's not," Dawnflower growled. "And even if he was, I would find him and rip him to shreds as soon as I smelled him."
Fogpaw was silent for the rest of the walk to Sunningrocks. When they got there, the four cats spread out and marked their scent.
"This is weird. Riverclan hasn't refreshed their markers since around... yesterday morning...," Snowfoot meowed, sniffing at the border. "Usually they refresh their scent marker quite often, especially near Sunningrocks."
"Should we go and see what's up?" Fogpaw suggested eagerly.
"No, we should wait a little longer. It might just be some little problems. I think we should wait a couple of more days, then check it out," Stripedpelt meowed.
"I agree. Let's go back and tell Smokestar," Snowfoot agreed.
"We should hunt first," Dawnflower suggested.
The other cats agreed and they hunted for a little then headed back to camp, jaws full of prey.
Dawnflower wasn't hungry because she ate before she took her nap so instead she went off to find Goldenblaze who was sharing tongues with his mother, Barkpelt. Barkpelt was also expecting her second litter of kits and Sunfire was the father. The kits would be Goldenblaze's kin.
"Hi Dawnflower! Did you just get back from a patrol?" Goldenblaze asked as she settled down next to him.
"Yes, but before I tell you about that, how are you feeling Barkpelt?" Dawnflower mewed.
"I am doing well Dawnflower, thanks. Now what happened at Riverclan? There's so much you miss out on when you're cooped up in camp," Barkpelt purred.
"Well nothing really happened... we went to refresh the scent markers and we realized that Riverclan hasn't been near Sunningrocks since around yesterday morning," Dawnflower informed.
"Yesterday morning? I wonder what's been keeping them away... did you smell anything that might be a threat to them?" Goldenblaze asked.
Dawnflower shook her head. "Nothing. Come to think of it, there wasn't much prey scent either..."
"Well, we'll have to keep a look out. There's way too much going on in the forest right now, what with Horsestorm and all... I wonder how the other clans are coping," Goldenblaze meowed.
"I picked the worst time to move into the nursery... too much stress and my kits will be born in leaf-bare. How will Thunderclan handle a bunch of new hungry mouths and the already existing threats?" Barkpelt meowed solemnly.
"Oh, don't say that! We've done it before, we can do it again. We need new life, no matter what time. The clan is running low on warriors and I'm sure we aren't the only ones," Goldenblaze assured his mother, giving her a comforting lick.
Dawnflower looked at the golden brown tom. He was a large tom, just like his father. He was a cat you wouldn't want to meet in battle but when it came to his clan and kin, he was very caring and gentle.
Dawnflower looked around her camp. Most of her clan mates were out or sleeping because it was getting dark. She would do anything to protect her clan, not because she took a vow and that she had to, because she loved her clan. They were the only thing she had. That's why when she thought about Horsestorm and his followers, she felt sick. How could they betray their clan like that? Dawnflower didn't understand it. Especially because of who his followers actually were.
Nightheart, her brother, was a follower. Dawnflower almost killed him twice. She hated him because he took part in the murder of Treeflower- Dawnflower's old mentor and best friend- and their sister, Eaglefeather, was almost killed because of him too.
Flamepelt was another one of Horsestorm's followers. He was a former Shadowclan cat and very fierce, but quiet. Dawnflower did not know him very well but had spoken to him at one Gathering. Flamepelt had a brother named Puddlepaw who was deeply affected by his betrayal.
The third follower was Webwhisker, former Riverclan apprentice. Webwhisker was the youngest and very naive. He never seemed like a threat to Dawnflower so she didn't worry about him.
Dawnflower tried not to think about these four cats. They gave her nightmares and made her angry. So that night she curled up next to Goldenblaze and tried not to think of anything but the only cats that mattered to her; her clan.
