Yes, I now it's been awhile.
Yes, I know this chapter is short.
Yes, I know I used the wrong 'know' in the first sentence.
BUT THIS CHAPTER REVEALS A LOT AND PERHAPS ENDS A RELATIONSHIP.
Who KNOWS!
Well, you will know when you read this chapter :D
Chapter 11:
"No!" Dewfall screamed, an internal feeling of torture swarming into her body. Her legs gave in as she heard a loud thump echo to the top of the cliff. Dewfall immediately felt tears running down her cheeks, and she looked down, desperately trying to find her father. "Frosteddew!" She shrieked, her voice echoing. "Don't worry! I-I'll get you! I'll find a way! I promise!" Though deep inside she knew there was nothing she could do. Nothing at all. She sat there, bowing her head, tears flowing down from her eyes to her paws. Her whole family was gone.
"Dewfall..." Burnfang's voice sounded from behind her, though it was blurred. "We have to go back to camp. We... We can't do anything. I'm sorry." His voice was somber and compassionate, though Dewfall was lost in her own world. Feelings of pain drifted into her again.
Because of you, Dawnpetal died.
It is your fault Frosteddew is dead.
You are the cause of Moonpaw's leg being crippled.
You made Sunheart get captured.
You will never succeed.
You will not complete the prophecy.
You will fail.
You will die.
"Dewfall!" A whimper broke her trance. She turned, her whole body empty. Her parents were dead. The cats who had raised her, cared for her, loved her...
Tears formed in Dewfall's eyes again. She didn't even realize it was Burnfang who was trying to help her up.
"Dewfall, we are going to get separated with the Clan! Please come! There's nothing we can do!" He hissed, his eyes round with desperation. "I'm really sorry about your parents, okay? But right now, we have to get back to the Clan!"
A spark of anger ripped through Dewfall's heart. Burnfang didn't even care that her father had just fell to his death before her eyes! "Burnfang," she snarled, rising herself to her full height, "Imagine if Russetbreeze just died in front of you. Would you go back to your Clan without even doing anything whatsoever?"
Burnfang flicked his tail. "Dewfall, I'd bury him, but Frosteddew is all the way down-"
"No!" She screeched, stomping her paw to the ground, making more rocks fall. "You wouldn't go back to your Clan! You'd bury him! You'd grief for him! You wouldn't just go back to your Clan when your father died!"
Burnfang's pelt pricked. "I'd also go back to see Skyrunner, Ripplesong, Moonpaw..."
Dewfall felt her eyes darken, and her tail dropped to the floor. "Does it look like I have anyone to go back to? Dawnpetal is dead. I've never had any siblings. There is no one else, Burnfang. No one at all."
Burnfang's eyes flashed with hurt, but it was mixed with love. "Dewfall, your never alone. You'll always have me."
Dewfall felt her whole body shake with pain. It wasn't right. "Burnfang, I really am sorry, but... but I don't think we are going to work out." She closed her eyes, feeling such strong grief surge through her.
"What do you mean?" Burnfang's voice trembled.
"We always fight, we always disagree, and... we've never really had anything, have we?"
Burnfang's legs shook. "I thought we did," he whispered. "I thought you loved me as much as I loved you."
Dewfall looked straight into his eyes, pushing away all the love that she felt for him. "I did. And I still do. But it won't ever work out, Burnfang. We isn't a possibility." She felt her eyes glisten with tears. "I'm sorry, Burnfang," she breathed, meeting his gaze once more. "I... I really do love you, but I'm just... I'm just not the cat for you. I don't want to see you die."
It was as though all the color and emotion in Burnfang's face had dissolved into nothing. His golden eyes faded and glistened with pain. And tears. She had never seen Burnfang cry until now. It made ripples of grief dissolve into her pelt, smashing into her heart.
"Your making a mistake, Dewfall." His voice shook. "You are the right cat for me. I'd never pick anyone other than you. I swear to StarClan, Dewfall. Please. Don't do this."
Dewfall turned, her heart racing with grief and misery and pain. Why was she doing this? Because it's the right thing to do. He'll thank me later. I'm doing him a favor by not letting him be with me. Who knows, maybe he'll die because he's near me.
It all hit Dewfall with a sharp pang. The cats she knew and loved died because she was related to them. And if she mated Burnfang, it would mean that he would die as well.
"I'm doing this for your life," Dewfall murmured. "I love you with all my heart, but I would never want to see you die."
Burnfang's eyes glistened with hope. "I'd die for you in a heartbeat. I just want you to be with me. Please, Dewfall. We could do everything together."
Dewfall shook her head and ran from him. "No," her voice echoed behind her. "I'm sorry."
The sun set, and Frosteddew's death story had traveled around all of camp by now. Duststar had said his wishes to him, and Dewfall had cried again. She had lost everyone she loved, and there was no bringing them back.
But when Burnfang had entered camp, a dead silence had risen over the Clan. His whole face was just empty; no feelings at all. He had gone into a den the Clan had made and he didn't come out. Cats had looked at Dewfall pointedly and started asking questions.
"Hey, Dewfall, what's up with Burnfang?"
"Yeah, what's got him so... down?"
"And why'd he come back so late?"
Dewfall had snapped at them. "Why should I know?" She had hissed.
Ripplesong had padded up to her. "Because it was clear that both of you liked each other. I'd even use the word love."
Cats nodded in agreement, and grief and anger rose in Dewfall. "Well, guess what?" She snarled. "It's over. We don't have any connection at all. Poof. Done. Gone. Nothing. We. Are. Done."
They had all gone silent again. And now Dewfall was sitting next to a lake by herself. Normally, she would've been accompanied by Burnfang, his flaming red pelt providing warmth, his golden eyes shining in the reflection of the water, his tail twining with hers lovingly.
But now, she sat, watching her face in the reflection.
Alone.
"I did it for the best," she murmured to herself. "I would never want Burnfang dying. So I just can't be with him. Or anyone. I'm doing this for the remaining cats I love."
"You made a promise," a growl sounded behind her. Dewfall turned, pelt spiked, to see Gingergaze. "You made a promise to protect your Clan even if you lose everything."
Dewfall hissed. "Isn't that what I'm doing right now? Because of my loyalty to my Clan, I'm putting it first instead of Burnfang."
Gingergaze whisked his faded tail. "Just because you made a promise doesn't mean you can't have fun or love."
Dewfall felt her pelt smoothen. "But every cat I love dies in time. Dawnpetal, then Frosteddew, and don't forget Sunheart... I would never want Burnfang dying or being captured like them. And it only happens when I'm there."
Gingergaze's body faded. "What if the cause of death isn't because of what you think it is..."
Dewfall blinked, and for an instant, it felt as though a weight had lifted off her shoulders. But it came back. "What does he even mean by that..." She murmured to herself. "Of course I'm the cause! Who else could it possibly be?"
She padded back to camp warily, the thought of Gingergaze's words in her mind. "He's just trying to reassure me," she muttered. "It's not as though there's someone behind all of it. It's just me, because my presence equals death."
She saw a flash of white, which caught her attention. She entered camp and realized it was Snowkit. She smiled inwardly. "Hi, Snowkit."
Snowkit smiled back mischievously. "Hi, Dewf-" His voice was caught off as a long, thin leaf caught his attention. "Woah! Wait till I show Palekit this lea-"
The long leaf attacked Snowkit. Dewfall gasped, realizing it was a snake. She jumped, sinking her jaws into the body of the snake, its sour taste flowing into her mouth. She shook it off Snowkit and killed it, biting furiously. She looked at Snowkit, who was laying on the floor, crying in pain.
Cats started gathering around. Dewfall bounded forward, looking at Snowkit's neck. A deep, venomous bite sank into the pure white fur, red blood surrounding it. "Wolfscar!" She screeched, panic rushing through her heart.
Wolfscar looked at Snowkit, and a flash of horror gleamed in his eyes. "It's a poisonous bite."
Graytail and Dustcloud hissed with terror. "Then you better save him!" Graytail snapped, giving Snowkit long, soothing licks. Spiritkit and Palekit sat next to Dustcloud, fear sparking in their gazes.
Dewfall felt her heart sink as Snowkit was taken to Wolfscar's Den. "And Snowkit's gonna die because I was there," she breathed to herself, tears forming in her eyes. There was no excuse now. She was clearly killing her Clan one by one.
"Maybe it'd be better if I left," she whispered. "That way I couldn't injure anyone."
Gingergaze's hiss sounded loudly in her ear. "Your loyalty to your Clan in stronger! They need you!"
"No, they don't!" Dewfall snapped. "I won't be helping by killing everyone!"
"But your not!" Gingergaze hissed back, his faded outline walking out of camp. Dewfall ran after him.
"Of course I am!" She growled. "In my presence, Dawnpetal, Frosteddew, Sunheart, and Snowkit were killed."
"Snowkit isn't dead, and for all you know, Sunheart could still be alive."
"Shut up, okay? I know I'm causing this. I'm leaving."
"You can't," Gingergaze snarled. "Your Clan will need you more than ever!"
"And why is that?" Dewfall snapped. "Tell me why I'm such an asset to this Clan!"
Gingergaze sat down, shrugging. "Fine."
Two badgers came running into her.
Dewfall felt horror hit her. "Are you crazy?" She snarled, unsheathing her claws and opening her jaws. She leaped at one of them, sinking her teeth into one of them.
Gingergaze's voice was barely audible. "Find out how!"
"How to what?" She screeched, feeling claws drag her down, blood blinding her vision. "I'm going to die, so come here and help!" She crossed both her front legs, keeping her claws unsheathed.
The badgers froze, sitting down.
Dewfall's jaw dropped. She looked at Gingergaze. "Did... did you do that?"
Gingergaze shook his head. "You have a power to stop an animal from fighting. You must concentrate on the animal you want to stop, and then cross both your front legs and keep your claws unsheathed. And if you lose concentration or posture, the animal unfreezes."
Dewfall opened her mouth to respond, but the badgers came into her again. "Concentrate!"
Dewfall crossed her legs and concentrated. The badgers froze.
"Now, once you master this skill, you can actually move your posture and fight them if your still concentrated hard enough. And they'll still be frozen."
Dewfall tried, concentrating hard, and slowly brought herself to a battle position. She took a step forward. The badgers immediately unfroze and attacked. Dewfall came back to her crossing leg position.
"This power will only work if you use it for good. Try hurting one of your Clanmates, and StarClan will take this power away from you."
Dewfall nodded. "I didn't even know I had such a power."
Gingergaze flicked his tail. "With practice comes perfection. Keep practicing when you can, and no other cat will know about your power."
Dewfall nodded again. "Thanks, Gingergaze," she murmured.
Gingergaze nodded, and the badgers dissolved into thin air.
And so did he.
Yeah, I know.
I kinda broke Burnfang..
Sorry...
But I gave Dewfall a power!
Well she had that power for a long time but only just realized it..
Dont worry it'll all make sense soon XD
THX FOR READING! [And thanks to all the people that review. Means a lot :) ]
