Slatefang didn't want to be still. His mind screamed at him.
Don't just stand there, slack jawed! Do something!
His fervor was calmed slightly as Cherrynose brushed his side with her tail.
"Where did he go?" Whiteshade demanded of the two apprentices at his feet. Heronpaw and Hawkpaw sat surrounded by agitated warriors with their heads dipped below their shoulder blades. They had been caught in their lie. They knew where Dawnheart was.
Slatefang watched from beyond the group of warriors as Heronpaw cast a sideways glance at his brother. The meaning in that glance was perfectly plain. Hawkpaw hesitated. Heronpaw stayed silent. Slatefang had had enough.
"Where is he?" Slatefang forced the words from his ragged throat. He pushed past his fellow warriors and came face-to-face with Heronpaw. The apprentice's yellow eyes widened slightly but his gaze remained hardened.
"Slatefang." Whiteshade said. He moved to come between warrior and apprentice. The deputy caught the warrior's eye with a sharp amber gaze.
Whiteshade expected Slatefang to back down. That made him angrier. He opened his mouth to retort but a sudden movement caught his eye.
"They're back!" Specklepaw called from next to the fresh-kill pile.
Slatefang looked up to see what could hardly be called a 'patrol' re-entering camp. Swiftwing wasted no time in marching right up to Whiteshade. Crowfrost followed at a more relaxed pace. Dawnheart wasn't with them.
"Well?" Whiteshade said as the group of warriors moved aside to let Swiftwing through. The black and white warrior cast a glance at the gathered cats. His eyes lingered on Slatefang in particular.
Slatefang dug his claws into the frozen earth. Just speak! He thought.
"We followed his scent to the dawn-wards most part of the territory." Swiftwing said. He paused and shot another look at Slatefang. "It seemed to be leading towards Twolegplace."
Specklepaw was the first to voice a common fear. "Did he leave us?"
Slatefang's neck fur bristled but he kept his mouth shut.
"Never!" Heronpaw cried. The apprentice jumped to his feet.
"Dawnheart hasn't betrayed CedarClan." Hawkpaw added. He joined his brother.
Whiteshade scrutinized the apprentices with his piercing amber gaze. "What makes you say that?" He said.
Heronpaw closed his mouth and met the deputy's eyes. The apprentice sat again and said no more.
A jumble of protests rose up among the gathered warriors.
Cherrynose leaned close to Slatefang's ear. "Do you think he left because of Blackmoth and-" she trailed off. Slatefang knew what name hung in that silence. He shrugged off the pang that plucked at his heart. He didn't answer Cherrynose's question.
"I hope he isn't hurt." Cherrynose said quietly.
He glanced at her. Her ears were flattened and she was shifting her paws uncomfortably. She met his eye and quickly dropped her gaze to her paws.
Slatefang wanted to reassure her but found that the words wouldn't come. She felt guilty. He couldn't relieve her, that was her burden.
But her words echoed in Slatefang's mind. An image of Dawnheart standing in the darkness and snow came to the forefront of his thoughts. The pale warrior's eyes were stretched wide with fear and despair.
The memory was foreign to him. Had he imagined it? He tried to think. He was interrupted by another voice.
"That wasn't all we found."
All eyes were drawn to Crowfrost who until now had been sitting silently at the edge of the group. The new warrior lifted his chin.
"We scented the rogues."
Gasps and yowls of anger met the words. Slatefang could only muster a muted sense of surprise.
"Are you sure?" Whiteshade snapped.
Crowfrost and Swiftwing nodded.
"I will never forget their stench." Swiftwing said. His lips drew back in a snarl.
"How many?" Whiteshade's eyes narrowed as he spoke.
"One." Crowfrost said. "On the edge of the Twoleg path."
Whiteshade blinked his amber eyes once and stiffened his shoulders.
"Swiftwing, report to Blizzardstar. He's resting in his den. The rest of you," Whiteshade raised his voice to top the clamor of voices, "I need on patrols."
There was a grumbling of malcontent but the noise died down and Whiteshade began assigning patrols to the warriors well enough to go out in the cold.
Slatefang and Cherrynose sat among them and waited.
Slatefang let his mind wander back to that odd memory of Dawnheart. He remembered feeling angry and betrayed but also hopeful. Relieved? He couldn't quite identify the emotion.
Whiteshade sent away a scant hunting patrol and gestured to the next warriors to come forward. Slatefang rose to his paws.
The sound of coughing made him whirl around.
Cherrynose was doubled over, her sides heaving with every choked gasp that left her body. Her eyes and nose were streaming and her pelt looked distinctly unkempt. How had he not noticed before?
Shocked, Slatefang jumped to her side to steady her. Whiteshade got in his way.
"Don't. You'll catch it." the deputy ordered.
A surge of unreasonable fury pulled Slatefang's claws from their sheaths. He was half ready to swipe at his Clanmate when he realized what he was doing and tensed to keep his paws on the ground. Whiteshade didn't seem to notice. He had turned to Cherrynose.
"To Plumleaf with you." He ordered.
Cherrynose had stopped coughing and was nodding weakly. She got to her paws and padded sluggishly towards the medicine den.
He watched her go, irritation pricking at every hair on his pelt. His thoughts were flighty and unfocused, like faint wisps of cobweb hanging in front of his eyes. He shook his head but that did little to clear away the tangle.
"Slatefang."
Twolegplace. What could Dawnheart be doing there?
"Slatefang?"
Cherrynose looked so sick and he had only just now noticed. Where had his mind been the last few days?
"Slatefang!"
He jumped as Swiftwing gave him a sharp poke in the ribs.
"What?"
Swiftwing and Whiteshade exchanged a glance.
"I was asking if you'd join my patrol to the PineClan border." Whiteshade said, "But if you're too distracted by what's going on-"
"No, I'm fine." He bit back his annoyance. Why hadn't the deputy just called him by name?
"Alright, let's go." Whiteshade signaled with his tail and he, Swiftwing, and Slatefang set off towards the fern tunnel.
The openness of the forest calmed Slatefang's frustrations and worries. He could hardly even remember why he had been agitated in the first place.
. . .
"Ready…now!"
Dawnheart took off as if an entire pack of dogs were on his heels. His heart tumbled against his ribs as his paws hit hard, gritty stone.
One. Two. Three.
In just three strides he was safely across the Thunderpath and diving into the long grass on the other side. He faintly acknowledged the thumping and swishing sounds of other cats arriving around him.
Dawnheart closed his eyes and took a breath of acrid Thunderpath air. His heartbeat slowed. Sufficiently calm now, Dawnheart dropped his bundle and turned to check on his companions.
"Is everyone alright?"
He clipped off the end of his sentence as he bit back a snort of amusement.
Kibby was a total mess. Her bushed out fur made her look twice her size. Her wide eyes were wild with fear and she was gripping the grassy ground with all twenty extended claws. If not for the bundle of catmint blocking her jaws, Dawnheart was sure she would be screaming.
The grass parted and Oliver stepped out from behind his denmate. His orange fur was rumpled but otherwise he seemed unfazed. He set down his own bundle of catmint and began to lick Kibby's shoulder.
"You're safe." The old tom purred.
"Feh!" An annoyed snap announced that Fitzy had made it as well. He pushed his way through the dirty gray snow to join the rest. His broken tail lashed. "Safe. Yeah right."
Dawnheart's ear twitched as he caught the faraway rumbling of an approaching monster.
"Let's move away from the path." He said with a wave of his tail.
Oliver coaxed the shaking ball of fluff that was Kibby to take a few steps. Dawnheart paused to make sure every cat had their catmint before turning and setting off towards the trees.
They traveled in silence, only stopping when a monster roared by. Dawnheart knew by now that monsters rarely left their path, but something about standing still made him feel safer when they were near.
The odd patrol made their way along the Thunderpath. Behind them the sun was beginning to set. It had taken nearly the whole day to find and retrieve more catmint. The plant at Jasmine's house had been destroyed during the commotion of the previous day. Luckily there was another source of the life-saving herb.
"It's like a Twoleg nest, but full of plants." Oliver had said.
"The plants survive every season?" Dawnheart asked in amazement.
"Somehow the Twolegs keep it warm."
It had been a risk but well worth it. They had spent the day recruiting Fitzy to their cause and scheming. It had been easy enough to fool the Twoleg that lived near the special warm nest into opening the 'door', as Oliver had called it. It had been harder to get back out again.
A few broken containers and a smashed window later and the cats had found themselves racing away with their prize safely tucked between their jaws.
Dawnheart shook his head as he ducked under a low hanging bush. Who would believe that the silliness of Twolegs would be the thing that saved CedarClan? StarClan had known it. Dawnheart glanced upwards at the darkening sky. He bid his thanks to the unseen stars.
As they approached Clan territory Dawnheart began to slow his pace. He looked over his shoulder to see his companions keeping easy pace.
Oliver was gazing around at the trees and snow like he had never seen them before. Kibby had returned to normal size and was bouncing happily through the drifts. Fitzy's tail and head were low as he scanned the area with narrowed eyes.
Dawnheart suppressed a purr and slowed to a stop. The others followed suit.
"Are we here?" Kibby squeaked around her catmint.
Dawnheart shook his head. He put down his bundle.
"Nearly." He said. Kibby's whole body wriggled with suppressed excitement.
"Stay close to me from now on. If you hear or scent any cats let me know." Dawnheart instructed. He picked up his catmint and set out again.
The others drew close enough to him that he could feel the rustling of their fur in the air. He heard Kibby's steps soften as they entered thicker forest. The swish of Fitzy's lashing tail faded. Oliver was as silent as a warrior.
Dawnheart felt his tension fade away as familiar green needles stretched out above his head. His shoulders relaxed and a spark of joy made his pawsteps lighter. He was almost home.
A scent hit his nose. He stopped dead.
"Stop!" Dawnheart hissed. The others came to a clumsy standstill behind him.
Dawnheart sunk into a crouch and signaled with his tail for the others to do the same. To his relief they obeyed in relative silence. Kibby couldn't quite stop herself from drawing in a sharp breath, but Dawnheart wasn't concerned. They had surely already been spotted.
Dawnheart drew the cold air over his tongue. He knew this scent. He remembered grooming it out of his fur for days after he had spilled their blood. The rogues were back.
Dawnheart's mind raced. How many individual scents were there? Two? Three? Could he take three rogues alone? Could he keep his companions safe? Kibby and Oliver showed no signs of any fighting skill. Fitzy had been in squabbles but none of the kittypets had faced this level of savagery before.
"Dawnheart?" Kibby's small voice sounded as loud as a yowl to Dawnheart's straining ears. He turned to silence her with a look. A flash of movement caught his eye.
Before he could react Dawnheart was bowled over by a tremendous force. His breath was driven from his lungs as massive clawed paws slammed him into the snow.
A terrified shriek cracked the frozen air.
Chaos followed.
Without thinking Dawnheart went limp. His assailant let out a satisfied grunt and shifted his weight. With a massive heave Dawnheart rammed his head into the rogue's exposed underbelly. The rogue's yowl of pain became a squeak as he tumbled backward off of his prey.
Dawnheart leapt to his paws and delivered three savage blows to the rogue's exposed flank. Blood spattered the snow and the mangy tom howled in pain. With a whimper the rogue got to his paws and fled.
Dawnheart felt a rush of satisfaction. They had not expected him.
A piteous yowl brought Dawnheart back to the fight. He whirled around sending sprays of snow in either direction.
Three more rogues were attacking the others. Fitzy was holding his own against a black and white she-cat but Oliver was trying to shield himself as two tabby toms rained blows down on the kitty-pet's head. A bead of scarlet flew through the air as one of the tabby's strikes drew blood.
Dawnheart's vision reddened.
In a heartbeat he was in the air with claws extended. Before the next heartbeat had passed Dawnheart was crashing into the two rogues. He gripped the closest one's head in his front claws and brought the tom down into a headfirst roll.
Dawnheart jumped out of the roll and was already attacking again before his opponent had had any time to recover from the sudden upset. The tabby raised feeble paws in an attempt to defend himself from Dawnheart's assault.
Dawnheart was relentless. The rogue struggled to find his balance but Dawnheart wouldn't let him. With a furious hiss the rogue spun and fled, unable to do anything else.
Dawnheart caught his breath. There had been two tabby rogues. Where was the other?
He caught sight of a flailing ginger tail at the edge of his vision. As he turned to come to Oliver's aid another weight crashed into his side. He let his legs fold underneath him as his attacker's heft carried it over Dawnheart's back. The rogue landed in a tangle of limbs and tail at the base of a tree. It was the black and white she-cat.
A thought for Fitzy's fate crossed Dawnheart's mind before the she-cat recovered herself and sprang. Dawnheart moved to dodge but his paw slipped on the snow. Her claws raked the side of his face.
Pain crackled across his cheek like lightning. The force of the blow caused Dawnheart to almost lose his footing. Almost.
He was ready for the she-cat as she came again. Her brown eyes were wild with the light of battle and her yellow fangs were tinged with blood. Dawnheart blocked her incoming swipe with a foreleg. In a fluid motion he shifted his weight onto his back legs. With his free front paw he made a jab at the she-cat's weight-bearing foreleg. She jumped back just in time to dodge it.
Dawnheart fell back on all four paws. This cat was different from the usual rogue rabble. She was fast and strong and understood that keeping one's balance meant victory. Their eyes met.
"Weren't expecting a Clan cat, were you?" Dawnheart taunted. The she-cat's eyes grew wide with a feral fury.
"I'll rip your throat out, Clan-scat." She hissed.
"You'll have to get through us!"
Both Dawnheart and the she-cat looked around in surprise. Fitzy and Oliver were both standing nearby. Their claws were out and blood spattered their pelts, but both were on their feet. Dawnheart felt a rush of relief that was almost immediately snuffed out by an anxious pang. Where was Kibby?
The rogue curled her lip at Fitzy. Her ears laid flat to her head and her tail dropped to the snow-covered forest floor. Her eyes darted from Dawnheart to the advancing kitty-pets. With a final hiss of frustration the she-cat turned and fled.
Dawnheart's blood began to slow; the adrenaline of battle quickly being replaced by icy waves of fear.
"Where's Kibby?" He shot at the others.
Oliver's eyes widened. Fitzy clenched his jaw.
"I lost sight of her!" Oliver wailed. He spun on his paws and limped away. Dawnheart and Fitzy followed.
The battle had spread out enough that a decently large patch of ground was churned up. Blood and dirt stained the gritty snow.
Dawnheart scanned the ground for a familiar swath of creamy fur. His heart twisted as his eyes fell on a grubby lump lying half-obscured under a bush. A jolt of adrenaline brought Dawnheart's paws to her side. Her face was hidden by a clump of kicked up snow. With a shaking paw, Dawnheart cleared the snow away.
Kibby's eyes were squeezed shut.
One blue eye peeked open a sliver and darted back and forth. She twitched her ears.
"Did we win?" she mewled.
Dawnheart slumped to his haunches in the snow.
"You're okay!" Oliver cried out from behind Dawnheart. The older tom hobbled over to Kibby's side and began examining her. "Are you hurt?"
"No." Kibby said. She hadn't moved yet. She was splayed out on the ground with all four legs sticking out.
A loud 'tch' noise announced Fitzy's arrival. Dawnheart saw the tom roll his eyes and stalk away from Kibby, muttering all the while.
"You didn't fight?" Oliver flattened one ear.
"Someone had to protect the catmint." Kibby huffed.
Dawnheart blinked. The catmint. He had dropped his at the beginning of the fight. Neither Oliver nor Fitzy had theirs either. Dawnheart scanned the clearing for scraps of green among the white, red, and brown. There was none.
Dawnheart looked down at Kibby. Her belly was pressed to the ground and she was gripping the soil for dear life.
"Kibby, you beauty!" Dawnheart burst out with a purr.
Oliver shook his head. "I don't understand."
Dawnheart nosed Kibby to her feet. She resisted at first but began to relax as it was made clear the danger was past.
Under her belly fur were four bunches of green catmint, unblemished and unscathed. Kibby had saved them from the chaos of battle.
Oliver's yellow eyes widened as the catmint's hiding place was revealed. A purr rumbled in his chest.
"I knew that belly would come in use one day." He said.
Kibby flicked him with her tail.
Dawnheart leaned in and rubbed his jaw along Kibby's. A startled purr rose in her throat. He pulled back and looked into her odd eyes.
"Thank you." He said.
Kibby blinked softly at him.
"Anytime. Let's go save your Clan."