Chapter 11: Dawnsky's Answer and Smoketail's Love
Dawnsky sat beside Gingerblaze. It had been half a moon since she visited Moonleaf and Mapletail. Stormheart, the clan deputy, had been thinking about retiring, after his wound from the battle with Windclan didn't heal properly. He had formerly stepped down to the elders den, leaving the deputy position free. "I might like to become deputy one day…" Dawnsky spoke thoughtfully. Gingerblaze looked at her strangely. "Well, when I become leader, I'll be sure to make you mine." He laughed." So you want to be deputy?" she asked. "More than anything. I want to be leader one day, and that's the first step, right? When I'm leader, I'll make every cat in the forest part of one great skyclan! No one would fight over prey or borders, it would be great! And I would be leader of it all! And you would be by my side, helping me rule the forest. If you could ask Snowstar… he really liked your father. Could you tell him to consider me?" He asked "Is that what you plan to do?" she asked "I still might like to be deputy…" "No, Dawnsky. Please don't try. I really want this. Really want this. Please just let me." He told her. Dawnsky wondered. "but not standing on you or in front of you" She murmered her mothers advice to herself. Was this what standing on was like? It deffinitly felt like he was trying to stand on her to get to the prize.
Dawnsky, Gingerblaze, Ambereye, Ashclaw, and Ashclaw's apprentice, Poplarpaw, were out on border patrol. They skirted down the Riverclan border when Ambereye stopped, sniffed the air and said "I smell windclan." Gingerblaze looked toward the Riverclan border. "It's coming from their territory." Dawnsky listened closely. She could hear the screeches of fighting cats coming from the riverclan camp! "Theres fighting down there! And I think Riverclan is losing!" She yowled. "Are you sure?" her sister asked. Dawnsky nodded. She knew Ambereye was thinking of going to help Riverclan. Crossing a boundary line was a big deal. If nothing turned out to be wrong, there would be trouble. If something was wrong, and Skyclan went to help, Riverclan would be thankfull. "Alright. Lets go!" the Skyclan patrol charged into enemy territory.
Ambereye and her patrol waded through the river towards Riverclans camp on the island. There was deffinitly fighting in the camp. The patrol climbed on dry land and lept into battle without bothering to shake the water from their pelts
Dawnsky leapt into battle. She sunk her teeth into a bracken-colored tom and pulled him from a Riverclan she-cat. Her fur was so matted with mud and blood she had to study the cat for too long to recognize her. "Briarstar!" She screeched. The Riverclan leader was lying in the mud. Dawnsky grabbed her by the scruff and dragged her into the ferns in the corner of the clearing. She spotted Mossfoot, the former Riverclan medicine cat, and called him over. "She's fine. She's lost a life, but I'll sit with her until she wakes. Thank you for coming, Dawnsky. We still may loose this fight, but not as bad as we would have. Dawnsky nodded, then leapt back into the fighting. She saw Ashclaw struggling with a tawny she-cat. Attacking a black apprentice, she bit into his ear and sent him howling out through the bushes. Dawnsky whirled around. A massive tortheshell tom jumped on her, squashing her flat. Dawnsky didn't miss a beat. She wriggled from under his claws and sprang on him, nipping his shoulder, then jumped away out of reach. Dashing back in, the tom reared on his forepaws, trying to land on her back. Dawnsky ducked under him, shredding his belly with her claws. The tom landed on his side, bleeding heavily. Dawnsky backed up to the edge of the clearing, panting. Her leg hurt terribly, she realized the tom had clawed her. Gingerblaze appeared in front of her, just as she was preparing to fling herself back into the fray. "Don't go back into the fight, Dawnsky," He told her "your hurt. You should go back to camp." She shook her head "Your hurt too." A powerful white tom growled and charged them. Gingerblaze whirled, snarling. "Don't touch her." He slashed the cat on the face and he backed into the fight. "I can fight my own battles, Gingerblaze" she told him, getting mad. "NO. go back, Dawnsky! Don't keep fighting!" Ashclaw stopped beside her, tired and bloody. "Let her fight, Gingerblaze." He said. "No. She won't be able to keep up!" Dawnsky snarled. "Let her Fight, Gingerblaze." Ashclaw snarled. "No!" Ashclaw lashed out at Gingerblaze, slashing his muzzle. He fell, yowling. "Come on. Lets win this thing" Ashclaw told her. Dawnsky nodded, and they leapt back into the fight.
The battle ended as the last of windclan retreated. Dawnsky looked over the clearing. The Riverclan cats were huddled in the reeds at the edges of the clearing. She shivered. This attack was merely to strike fear in the Riverclan cats. Skyclan must be next. Dawnsky flopped down next to Ashclaw. "he must be encouraging to you, standing for you and up for you, but not on you or in front of you" she mumbled her mothers words under her breath. Gingerblaze had stood in front of her today, trying to protect her. He had proved that he could stand on her for his ambition, as well. Today, Ashfur had stood up for her by taking on Gingerblaze. She smiled. She Liked Ashfur much more than Gingerblaze. "Ashfur" She started "let me guess. You want to thank me for how amazingly I handled that idiot bully, Gingerblaze. You wondered what you ever saw in him, and want to admit that you loved me since we were kits." Dawnsky looked at him strangely. "Dead on." Ashclaw seemed surprised. "You mean, really?" She nodded. "I don't know what I saw in that loser. I like you, Ashclaw. I think I might love you." And there, under the ferns of the Riverclan camp, Ashclaw licked her head gently, they settled in for the night together. Their first night as mates.