Hello beloved readers! This is the last chapter (but not the last installment) of Dawn and Dark. This is it, how will the two brave warriors react? Read on to find out what went on when Dawnsky crossed the border.
Darkface rubbed his cheek against Snowfur's. "Congratulations, Snowfur. You really did deserve your warrior name." He purred. The newly named warrior purred back.
"Thanks, Darkface! Ravenhollow and Redheart deserve theirs just as much too." Darkface glanced over at Snowfur's brothers. Redheart and Ravenhollow stood proudly in the centre of a knot of their clanmates. Snowfur shook her head, "well, my brothers and I promised each other that we'd go on a celebratory hunting patrol if we passed our assessments so... See you later!" She dashed off. Darkface watched her go. Why couldn't she stay and go hunting with him? Her brothers were both arrogant fur-balls, why? "Looks like you finally like some cat that you can actually be mates with!" A joking mew sounded from behind him. Ferncloud. His sister was a pain in the tail sometimes. He turned to face her. "Why do you think every she-cat I like in a friendly way, I want to be mates with? His words were grumpy, but he kept his tone light. One never wanted to offend Ferncloud. She shrugged "do you want to go hunting with me and Dustpelt?" Darkface considered it. They were just coming into Newleaf, and a run through the weak sunshine was tempting, but he knew Ferncloud was just asking to be polite. Darkface only really sat with his littermates to share freshkill, he had no friends, apart from Snowfur, to hunt with. "No, it's alright, I'll go hunting by myself." He glanced at his sister, her belly looked a little...bigger than usual. "And besides" he mewed "I think you might want to be, um, alone, with Dustpelt."
Sun dappled leaves rustled in the breeze. The air smelled of heather and moor grass, a sure sign that Darkface was nearing the Windclan border. He had set off in the hopes of catching a rabbit that could have strayed into the forest after berries or nuts that grew on the bushes. He stopped to taste the air, he was close enough to Windclan territory now, rabbits might be near and he wanted to make sure he had the advantage. A dusty rabbit smell came to him, but it was sharp with alarm. It was being hunted! Perhaps a hunting patrol had run into it? But large patrols hardly ever hunted near the border. A new scent, the windswept, heathery smell of Windclan, washed over him. Fox-hearts! They were stealing Thunderclan prey! He leapt forward, teeth bared in a snarl, racing over the uneven forest ground. "Stop! Trespasser!" He yowled. He had to make sure they didn't take the rabbit...and whoever the thief was would receive more than a few sharp words from him! Try a few sharp claws!
The cat chasing the rabbit jerked it's head up. That was good, it had stopped chasing the rabbit. The Windclan cat was looking around as if it had finally realised where it was. "Darkface?" From the voice, it was clearly a she-cat. "Listen, I can explain, it was an accident!" Her voice quavered with fear, Darkface hesitated. He should at least hear her out. He crept closer, fur still bristling but he wasn't snarling anymore. "Dawnsky?" Why did it have to be a Windclan cat he actually liked? "I'm sorry, Darkface! I didn't realise, I swear... By the lives of my kits!" She cried. Kits? Darkface's head reeled like he had fallen down Sunningrocks. He glanced at her belly, it was only just slightly bigger. Ok, so she was expecting kits. That didn't change anything, Ferncloud and her kits had to be fed too. "Get off Thunder-" he was cut off as the bushes rustled. Firestar burst out of them with Silverstep and Graystripe at his heels. "We heard a commotion and came as soon as we could!" Graystripe panted, but Firestar and Silverstep remained silent. The were staring in horror at him and Dawnsky.
"You found out." The Thunderclan leader hissed, his voice full of shock. Silverstep stepped forward. "How?" She asked. "Who told you?" Her tone to was sharp and filled with shock. Darkface was bewildered. "What did we find out about? I was just chasing her out, she stumbled across the border chasing a rabbit." He asked in confusion, something big was going on here, and why did it concern Dawnsky? He glanced at Graystripe. The deputy had confusion in his eyes, but did not interfere. He probably figured that Firestar had kept this information from him for a good reason so didn't fluff his fur. Silverstep lashed her tail. "What do we do now? They know!" Her mew had gone from shocked to panicked. Firestar gave vent to an exasperated sigh. "We tell them off course. Everycat has a right to know their history." Dawnsky lashed her tail and the fur along her back bristled
"What do you mean? I know my history! I was born to Ravenwing and Onewhisker in Windclan, I have no siblings, my best friend is Skyblossom and my mate is Duskfur! That is my history!" She spat. "Thunderclan cats are rabbit-brains, I'm going home!" The creamy she-cat turned and stalked away. "If you want to know, tell Tallstar tonight at Fourtrees!" Firestar called after the infuriated Windclan cat.
Darkface shivered in the cold night air. "Will you explain why we are here Firestar? Or will you just keep staring into the distance like a mouse-brain?" Normally Darkface would never have spoken to his leader that way, but he was freezing his tail off at Fourtrees for Firestar's mystery meeting, so he figured he had the right to be grumpy. Firestar's infuriating reply came. "Wait for the others." He murmured. Darkface snorted, Dawnsky wasn't coming, she had made that certain by the border. He pricked his ears. Had that been the sound of paws drumming the earth? "It must be the wind" he muttered to himself. Firestar twitched his tail tip. "But the leaves are not rustling." Suddenly, three cats appeared out of the inky blackness at the top of the hollow. Firestar stood and waved his tail in the air. "Greetings, Tallstar, Dawnsky and is that Duskfur?" Firestar nodded at each cat in turn and Tallstar dipped his head to him. "Well met, Firestar." He nodded at Darkface as well. "And you, Darkface." Darkface remained silent. As did Dawnsky and Duskfur. Firestar shifted uncomfortably. "We brought you here tonight to tell you that you are littermates."
Ice chilled his veins. He had another sister? Who was his real mother. Was it Ravenwing? Or was it Brindleface? Yet despite these obvious questions, an old dream twitched in the back of his mind. He had been only a kit, perhaps only four moons old when he'd dreamt it. Only a whiff of a scent... But he had felt the surface beneath him in the dream and he knew there was another option. Another queen, another version of history. Darkface glanced at his supposed sister. She had her muzzle pressed into her mate's shoulder. Duskfur spoke for her. "Are you saying that Darkface is Windclan?" His muzzle was thrust forward and his tone was challenging. Darkface growled. "Surely Dawnsky would come from Thunderclan! But I think the real question is why did one of us end up in a different clan?" Dawnsky shook herself and blinked. "My brother is correct. What is our real story?" She laid emphasis on both brother and real. "Erm..." Firestar began uncomfortably. Tallstar took over impatiently. "What Firestar is saying is that neither of you are clan born. Bluestar found you in the forest one night on patrol." Firestar nodded slowly, as if considering old memories.
"Yes, you were both crying for your mother and..." He trailed off awkwardly. Anger flared in Darkface's chest. Firestar had brought them here to tell them who they were! Why didn't he finish their story? "And what!" He growled. Firestar looked up and met his eyes. There was anguish and a spark of happiness buried in them. "And you wore collars." Darkface's world shattered, the last hope of some sort of wild birth gone. He had come from the most scorned background among the clans. He had been born a Kittypet.
Well, there you have it. Poor Dawnsky and Darkface, they both had been living a lie! But we all knew that so it wasn't that ground-shattering for us ;p. I want to thank all my reviewers, favouritors and Followers. Particularly: Willowdream, Amazing TEEN Authoress and Shadowfur. You are all such amazing supporters! Thank you all so much! This wouldn't have been possible without you. It is nearing the time where I must press the 'complete' button, but I won't be gone forever. The Dawn and Dark series will continue, focusing on the lives of Windclan and Thunderclan cats. There will be a surprise waiting next, Er, kind of chapter, this story isn't over yet! Look forward to Gathering Clouds!
May Starclan light your path.
Farewell, Wishheart