MoonstripeTheGreat – Agreed! I also like Kahn, when I draw him (eventually) he looks super badass. (He has a mohawk and everything.) Clara is my child I love her. Hope you enjoy the updating schedule for the next two months! 5 Chapters in two months! (It's better than one every month haha.

Chapter 47

Dawnpaw's POV

Dusk fell on the Clan live a safe hymn, a prayer to protect all cats in and out of camp. I wonder what Redpaw is doing right now. Probably something far more exciting than patching up walls. Buzzardkit and Thistlekit had tried to escape the camp last night. Dawnpaw purred as she remembered her days in the nursery. Unlike them I made it out of the nursery. Sometimes I wish we could go back, rewind, it was all so much simpler then, we were safe, a broken family, but together.

"Dawnpaw?" Sagefrost called and the brown apprentice stopped weaving the bracken into the log. "You've been working all day, have a rest, get some fresh kill."

"Would you like any?" Dawnpaw politely asked.

"Sure, if there's a bird of any sort choose it for me!" the queen purred still inside the nursery. Dawnpaw trotted to the average sized pile and chose a raven for Sagefrost and a vole for herself. She entered the dark nursery and saw the three kits curled at their mother's belly, Skykit still having her eyes closed.

"Is it normal for her to still be asleep?" Dawnpaw asked surprised at how concern leaking into her voice like water did to her den.

"Of course, she just needs a little time. You were the last kit to open your eyes too you know."

Dawnpaw shuddered remembering the face thing she saw. "Yeah I know" she meowed bluntly. A silence filled the air between the cats.

"How are you?" Sagefrost asked lowering her voice. Dawnpaw tensed, and glanced at the kits sleeping under Sagefrost's tail.

"I'm fine" Dawnpaw whispered trying not to sense the queen's lingering hazel gaze on her. Dawnpaw moved her thin tail to block her underbelly from Sagefrost's eyes.

"You deserve this"

"Her death was all your fault"

"Not happy to see me? That's fine, this morning I feel like carving a smile into that pretty face of yours."

Dawnpaw shuddered again. Maybe I could tell her… Dawnpaw opened her mouth but the blue eyes that haunted her made her pause. I… I can't. I'm too weak to tell her.

"Do you want kits Dawnpaw?" Sagefrost asked changing the subject. The apprentice looked at the three kits and wondered what it would be like to have some of her own. I don't need to stay cooped up in a den all day relying on the Clan for every little thing.

"Yeah I would" she murmured gently surprising herself.

"I wouldn't have expected that from you" Sagefrost purred nudging the small grey tom back to her side. "All cats have a soft side."

"Not him."

"Who?" the queen asked and Dawnpaw forced herself to meet her gaze.

"No one" she spat feeling her fur rise. Why do I get so angry over every little detail? This is the reason I could never have kits Dawnpaw told herself. I – I could go into a rage and accidentally hurt them, I will never love enough to look after them anyway. Her gloom hung over her like a dark cloud. She hated everything she thought about herself but it was all so true.

Dawnpaw repressed her kithood, Troutshadow's baring fangs preoccupied her mind, the raincloud blocking the rays of sun from entering her mind.

"What was your kithood like?" Dawnpaw asked noticing she had fallen silent for an extended period of time.

"Well Slatestar, Snowstar's father, was leader with Nettlespark as his deputy. Morningrose and her sister Cloudfur were driven away and well… Brightpaw was killed not long after I became an apprentice. Bluemist was my mentor and my mother Duskstep became deputy after Nettlespark was killed."

Sagefrost looked to the roof of the den wistfully. Dawnpaw awkwardly sat down. It was very interesting to hear about life before she was born.

"My mother had a very short reign as deputy though she was one of the Clan's best. Snowclaw became deputy at a young age, despite it being against the Warrior Code" Sagefrost frowned.

"Why was it against the Warrior Code?" Dawnpaw asked. Sagefrost looked at her again.

"She never had an apprentice before she was appointed. I don't think she ever got one… Anyway, Slatestar passed and with only three moons of experience as deputy she received her nine lives. I remember the state of the Clan. We were the smallest of the four but that didn't stop Snowstar."

Sagefrost's face fell and her eyes darkened. "We lost a lot of cats as soon as Snowstar became leader. Many of the elders thought it was a bad omen, we were in our darkest hour, reckless battles, dogs, greencough, you name it, it was almost all too much."

"What happened next?" Dawnpaw asked almost afraid to her the answer.

"We had recovered from greencough, and you three were born and ever since DustClan has been strong."

"Oh" Dawnpaw replied. The ending almost seemed oddly anticlimactic. Have we really made the Clan stronger? Have I really made the Clan stronger?

Probably not. Cloverpaw heals, Redpaw provides, and what have I done? Killed a cat and caused trouble.

"I best be going" Dawnpaw excused herself. "Enjoy the raven."

"Okay, goodbye Dawnpaw! Get some rest" Sagefrost called as Dawnpaw exited the den.

The clearing was empty, most cats in their nests. Only Snowstar and Peachpelt were beneath the Great Oak where Clan meeting were held. The pair had become best friends in their leadership and would usually sit together to discuss Clan matters or just joke around. I wonder how many deputies she has had.

Dawnpaw entered the den, the apprentices all huddled together asleep. Only Ashpaw and Smokepaw were there. Redpaw was away on the journey and Dawnpaw assumed Cloverpaw was in her nest of feathers. She padded to the opposite side of the den to her nest where she usually slept.

Goodnight.

Doneeeee! I promised myself 5 chapters in the summer break (two months). So 1/5.

Q: How many deputies do you think Snowstar WILL have.

Q: Do you think Dawnpaw will have kits?

Q: Any Peach x Snow shippers? :D No? OK. Although it most likely won't be mentioned Peachpelt is most likely demisexual or pansexual. Just saying

Check out my DA! I just drew Troutshadow and he looks spooky: art/18-Troutshadow-718024164

~Mystic