Chapter 11

Well, after months of hiatus and a hell of a lot of writer's block I am finally back. I just had to take a break from Warriors and just about the rest of fanfiction as well. I apologize for not providing you all with reasons why I left earlier and I realize that a lot of you have probably given up on this, but I have a commitment to finishing this story and the rest of the series as well, so here is Chapter 11.

Previously:

Sorreltail's kits earned their warrior names: Poppymist, Cinderfrost, and Honeylight. Snowkit became Dustpelt's apprentice and Dawnpaw's vision still looms over their heads.

Redpaw's POV

A soft breeze swept through the branches overhead as Redpaw found himself padding through the unfamiliar forest. It was dark, but the full moon washed everything around him in a silver-gray color. The forest was peaceful and welcoming as he traveled in the direction his paws took him.

He didn't know where they were taking him. The last conscious thought he remembered having was settling into his nest in the apprentices' den at home in the ThunderClan camp. "What am I doing here?" he wondered aloud quietly, pausing to look up at the leaves outlined in the moonlight shining down on them.

"You've been summoned here," a soft voice mewed behind him. He whirled around and his eyes widened as he spotted the tortoiseshell and white she-cat sitting at the base of one of the trees. Her amber eyes were luminescent in the darkness she'd hidden herself in.

"Who are you?" Redpaw demanded, glaring distrustfully at the she-cat.

The tortoiseshell purred comfortingly. "Peace," she murmured, stepping into a ray of moonlight. "You are safe. No one in this place will hurt you."

"Where am I?" Redpaw asked, now intrigued by this stranger.

"Surely you can guess," the she-cat replied mysteriously as she shifted. A shimmer caught Redpaw's gaze and his eyes widened as he spotted the faint glow of stars that made up the she-cat's pelt, something he'd missed on his initial inspection.

"Is this StarClan?" Redpaw questioned, feeling awestruck. He swept his gaze around himself once more and took in every inch of the forest around him. Dawnpaw had told him about this place, but he'd never been able to witness it for himself!

"Yes," the tortoiseshell replied, sounding amused. She stepped into the moonlight and Redpaw watched as she padded closer. She was slighter, smaller than he was. However, her eyes glittered with wisdom that far outshined the knowledge Redpaw was capable of having.

"Why am I here?" Redpaw asked. "Dawnpaw told me that she's usually called here to be given a message."

"That is true," the she-cat meowed, nodding. "Many dreams that we shared with Dawnpaw were to help her understand what is happening here and in her life. I understand that you and her are at odds at the moment?"

Redpaw's pelt prickled at the reminder of Dawnpaw's ridiculously stubborn attitude when it came to her vision of her own death. "Yes. She had a vision of herself dying to save one of our new apprentices and she's still adamant to save him, even with her life at stake. She doesn't seem to understand that she's important as one of the Three."

The tortoiseshell curled her tail over her paws. "Your sister only wants to do the honorable thing."

Redpaw felt a rush of shame and his ears burned with embarrassment. "I didn't say that I wanted Snowpaw to die! It's just…I don't want Dawnpaw to die either."

"Though Dawnpaw's visions are certainly useful, they are not always set in stone. They change often, especially with foresight."

"Dawnpaw says that they haven't changed every time she has the vision and she still plans on saving him," Redpaw's tail twitched impatiently. "Did you call me here to just gossip?"

"On the contrary," the tortoiseshell she-cat meowed, "I am here so you can let go of your frustrations. You hold this ridiculous grudge over your sister because she simply doesn't want one of her Clanmates to die."

"She doesn't understand," Redpaw hissed, lashing his tail, "I only want her to protect herself."

"Redpaw, sometimes we are forced to think of others, to be selfless," the tortoiseshell said sadly. Her amber eyes glowed softly in the half-light. "We have our own destinies to fulfill but sometimes we must help others with theirs."

"It is not Dawnpaw's destiny to die for Snowpaw," Redpaw snapped.

"Maybe it is and maybe it isn't," the tortoiseshell she-cat's ear twitched, still looking as calm as ever. Meanwhile, Redpaw was furious and he struggled to hold himself back from lunging at the she-cat. He was starting to wonder if he really was in StarClan.

Taking a deep breath, Redpaw forced himself to calm down and smooth over his ruffled fur. "Dawnpaw has had another vision, too. She saw Tigerstar and when she looked down she saw tortoiseshell paws covered in blood. Do you know what that means?"

The tortoiseshell she-cat's eyes widened a fraction at his change in subject. "It could mean many things," she meowed, bemused. "Dawnpaw's power of foresight is stronger than StarClan's and we haven't seen anything of the sort. All we know is that you, Dawnpaw, and another of your kin will rise to face whatever is coming."

"Dawnpaw and I think something is happening in the Dark Forest," Redpaw told her, "I had a dream that apprentices were in the Dark Forest, apprentices who aren't dead. One of them said that Hawkfrost was training them on the killing bite."

"What?" the tortoiseshell hissed, her eyes suddenly flaring with fury. "This changes everything."

"What does it change? What does it mean?" Redpaw asked, bewildered.

"I'm sorry, Redpaw, but you must return to your Clan now. I must speak with the others," the tortoiseshell she-cat meowed, looking at him apologetically.

"But you have to tell me what it means!" Redpaw exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but if you want to save Dawnpaw from her destiny I suggest you return to the living," the tortoiseshell began to retreat into the undergrowth but Redpaw could not move his paws, fore they were rooted the ground. Gradually, his surroundings fell to black and then he was trapped in a dark oblivion. Fear formed a lump in his throat that he couldn't swallow. His eyes went wide just as he was falling.

"Redpaw, wake up!"

Redpaw started awake and he leaped to his paws in his nest. His breathing was rapid, as if he'd run all the way from camp to the lake and the blood pounded in his ears as adrenaline rushed to every one of his limbs.

Bravepaw sat in front of him and his green eyes were wide with shock as he stared at his brother. "Redpaw, what's wrong?"

Redpaw's gaze zeroed in on Bravepaw. "Where is Dawnpaw?" He looked around the den but there was no one else there.

Bravepaw looked at him curiously. "She left on a hunting patrol with Spiderleg, Sorreltail, Dustpelt, and Snowpaw a little while ago. Why?"

Redpaw's stomach dropped and his breath caught. No! Not now!

"I have to find her!" he exclaimed, pushing past Bravepaw and thundering into the clearing. Bravepaw called after him, but Redpaw ignored him. The sunlight momentarily blinded him but he raced in the direction he knew the camp entrance tunnel was. Just as he was through the tunnel, he ran into something that squeaked in surprise.

"Redpaw! What in StarClan's name do you think you're doing?" Cinderfrost's astonished voice rang in Redpaw's ears and he blinked, focusing on the gray tabby she-cat as she smoothed down her ruffled fur. "You nearly frightened the fur off of me!"

"Sorry, but I'm in a hurry," Redpaw muttered. He made to slip by her, but the tunnel behind him rustled and Bravepaw came tumbling out.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Cinderfrost asked, looking between the two brothers suspiciously.

"That's what I want to know," Bravepaw meowed, looking at Redpaw expectantly.

Redpaw sighed and he twitched his tail impatiently. "Look, I'll explain later, but I really need to get to Dawnpaw."

"What's wrong with her?" Cinderfrost persisted.

Redpaw rolled his eyes and he ignored the question. Instead, he darted off in the direction of the ShadowClan border. Dawnpaw had explained her dream to him in detail and he had the approximate idea of where she was now.

He heard pawsteps and glanced behind him, spotting Bravepaw and Cinderfrost both on his tail. He grunted in annoyance. Now he wouldn't be able to speed through the forest with the both of them watching him. It took all he had to refrain from using his power, but he did put an extra boost into his steps as he raced toward the ShadowClan border.

Dawnpaw's POV

Dawnpaw watched solemnly as Snowpaw chatted away with Dustpelt in front of her. She'd had the vision again and she had been jumpy all day. The tightness in her chest only worsened her mood. She knew that today was the day. The day she'd been seeing for so long. With a sigh, Dawnpaw looked down at the earth beneath her paws.

Something brushed by her shoulder and Dawnpaw looked up to see Sorreltail beside her. The she-cat's amber eyes were full of concern as she looked at her. "Are you alright, Dawnpaw?"

Dawnpaw twitched her ear. Sorreltail didn't often pick up on her moods, but Dawnpaw wasn't making it too hard to see. "I'm fine," the bitter lie slipped from her with a snap. She instantly regretted being so harsh when she saw Sorreltail lean away, looking surprised and a little hurt.

"Should we split up?" Dustpelt called back over his shoulder, interrupting any chance of an apology from Dawnpaw.

Sorreltail nodded, flicking her tail at Spiderleg. "I'll take Spiderleg and hunt nearer to the lake. You take the apprentices and hunt here. The border patrol said there was a nest of magpies around here."

Dawnpaw felt like she was going to be sick as she watched Sorreltail and Spiderleg pad away from them. Dustpelt turned to Snowpaw and began to instruct the new apprentice.

"The patrol said that the magpies were in the patch of willows nearby. You'll go in alone so we don't scare them. Your fur is light-colored so you have to—"

"Move slowly and keep as close to the ground as I can," Snowpaw finished for him. Dustpelt looked at him in surprise and nodded after a moment before gesturing to the fern bushes a few fox-lengths away.

"We will watch you from the ferns," he meowed. Snowpaw nodded and he moved toward the ferns. Dustpelt and Dawnpaw followed behind. Dawnpaw felt her breath catch as she crouched in the ferns. The willows she'd seen in her vision were there and everything was in place, even the magpie on the roots of a willow tree.

"Stop trembling!" Dustpelt hissed under his breath and sent her a sharp glare. Dawnpaw breathed in a deep, shuddering breath as she nodded and forced herself to sit still.

Snowpaw had spotted the magpie and he had nearly flattened himself to the ground, but kept his belly fur from scraping the forest floor. For a new apprentice, he hunted quite well. Snowpaw maneuvered closer, making sure to remain downwind and out of sight as he inched closer with each calculated step.

As Snowpaw leaped the bushes on the other side of the willows rustled. In some distant region of her mind, she realized that she could hear a thundering a pawsteps behind her. Ignoring the odd inconsistency of events, she leaped up from her hiding spot as Snowpaw's teeth tore at the magpie's throat.

The badger roared as it lumbered from the bushes and Snowpaw whirled on his heel, staring in shock at the creature. Dustpelt sounded a warning to his apprentice, but Dawnpaw was already racing toward Snowpaw. Her eyes stung and her heart pounded as she shoved Snowpaw out of the way and she screwed her eyes tightly shut, waiting for the pain and darkness of death to come.

R&R Please!

One more elimination for Stormfur's and Brook's kits!

Lightningkit-broad-shouldered dark brown tabby tom with gray eyes

Juniperkit-long-haired silver she-cat with amber eyes

Featherkit-slender dark gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes