Dawnpaw tossed and turned in her nest, letting out a few small whimpers. She jerked awake as a thorn prodded her side and glanced up to see the ginger tabby pelt of Eaglepaw as the tom stood over her with a paw raised to prod her again. His amber eyes were narrowed in annoyance and he curled his lip slightly. "Stop whimpering, kittypet" he hissed. "You're keeping the rest of us awake!"

Dawnpaw flattened her ears slightly and curled her tail around her paws. She lowered her head on her paws and looked away. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I won't do it again."

Eaglepaw let out a snort. "You better not or you'll have more than a sheathed paw to worry about."

Dawnpaw let out a small sigh and watched as the younger cat padded back to his nest. Once she was sure that he was asleep, Dawnpaw sat up and gave her long fur a quick grooming. She curled up again, staring at the entrance of the den as she tried to will herself back to sleep. Yet, sleep evaded her.

Dawnpaw got to her paws and looked at the others, double checking that they were asleep before slipping out of the den. She made her way into the moon-washed clearing and sat down, curling her tail around her paws. She turned her blue eyes up towards the sky, gazing up the stars as they shone down. A half-moon shone in the center and the she-cat glanced over at the medicine den, wondering how Antpaw and Dapplepelt were doing at the Moonpool.

I wish they were here, Dawnpaw thought as she lowered her head and flattened her ears. They would've helped her with the latest nightmare. Dawnpaw let out a small whimper and turned her gaze up to the stars. This latest nightmare was brutal.

Dawnpaw was lazing beside a fireplace, a gleaming collar around her neck. She had one paw tucked underneath her as she watched the flames flicker and dance, a low purr rumbling in her throat. The house had been quiet recently and she had managed to avoid getting kicked and hit all day. Her ear flicked backwards when she heard heavy stomping and she quickly leaped to her paws, whirling around.

The male twoleg had paused by the couch, gazing at her with narrowed eyes. His boots were muddy and wet and he held a stone in one hand. Dawnpaw gulped and whirled around as soon as smelled the rank and evil stench that her owner carried. She raced away, letting out a surprised yowl as the stone hurtled past her head, just barely missing her. She slid to a halt as she neared a corner and swiftly turned, racing for the nearest bed, her tail bushed out to twice her size and her claws tearing up the carpet and tile in her haste.

She spotted a bed and slipped under it, quickly making her way towards the back. She sat there as she listened to the twoleg stomping around just outside the bed. She crouched, trying to make herself smaller as she tried to control her frightened breathing. Then a stick slipped under the bed and began to move rapidly. Too rapidly for Dawnpaw to avoid, especially in the tight space. She let out a hiss of pain and then a yowl as it collided painfully with her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. She laid there and felt a rough hand reach for the scruff and drag her out from under the bed.

She gazed at the angry face of her own as she dangled limply from his rough and calloused hands. Her eyes gazed up at the twoleg fearfully as he raised the stick to-

"Uh…hello there…why aren't you sleeping like the others?"

Dawnpaw froze and turned her gaze hesitantly to look up at the cat who now sat beside her. Her eyes widened in surprise when she spotted the brown pelt of Shadeheart. She glanced her paws and curled her tail upwards to hide an old scar, presumably one from the stick her twoleg had beaten her with. "I…." she hesitated slightly, unsure of how much to reveal. She didn't know Shadeheart at all and didn't know why he wasn't asleep in the warriors' den with the others. Is he on guard duty? Dawnpaw wandered as she glanced back at the medicine cat den, wishing she was talking to Antpaw and Dapplepelt instead. "I'm not sure if I should tell you…" she finally whispered, her ears flattening slightly against her skull.

Shadeheart frowned and sat down, curling his tail around his paws. His green eyes flashed in the darkness, causing a shiver to travel down Dawnpaw's spine as she waited for his response. Her muscles tensed, ready to run if he tried to hurt her. After all, he had been nothing but hostile to her when she first joined the Clan and has been trying to make training extremely difficult when he did join them on those rare occasions that he was ordered to. "Why not?" Shadeheart finally spoke, his tone neutral.

Dawnpaw glanced at her paws and shifted. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes as the horror of the nightmare flew back to her, bringing with it the fear and terror that she had felt. She dug her claws into the ground as her breathing began to grow ragged and she was unaware of Shadeheart's tail running down her spine awkwardly as he tried to comfort her. "I-It-He was…" Dawnpaw let out a choked sob and leaned against Shadeheart, unaware of his stiffening posture.

"…What happened exactly?" Shadeheart asked calmly, his mew holding a hint of ice to it.

"My twoleg…" Dawnpaw whispered hoarsely, once she was able to speak again. "He used to beat me senseless and mercilessly as well." She pulled away from Shadeheart and turned her gaze back up the stars, her jaws parted slightly as she continued to speak. "My nightmare tonight stemmed from one of those memories." She twisted her head and licked at the raw scar on her shoulder, shivering slightly at the memory. She crouched and wilted in amongst herself, her gaze turning back towards the sky. "It happened as soon as grew up and I guess I wasn't cute anymore…."

"Dawnpaw…"Shadeheart hesitated and fell silent but Dawnpaw could detect what he meant to say. She turned her gaze on him and saw his green eyes were watering slightly and his posture was hunched down. It took her a while to realize that his shoulders were shaking slightly as his tail curled tightly around his paws. "I'm so sorry," he choked out.

Dawnpaw tilted her head slightly. "Why?" she asked, feeling guilty for unloading all that on the young warrior.

Shadeheart flattened his ears and looked away. Though he didn't look away for long, he turned and met Dawnpaw's gaze, his green eyes swimming with emotion as it reflected the night sky. When he spoke, his mew came out in a small whisper. "I'm sorry for being so rude and mean to you. My mother has never approved of it and I'm sure my father wouldn't either."

Dawnpaw tilted her head slightly, feeling a twinge of curiosity and then immediately feeling guilty about it. "If you don't mind me asking…who is your father? Why are you talking as if he is dead?"

Shadeheart turned away, his pelt bristling slightly. "I'd rather not talk about it," he snarled out. His lip was curled slightly and got to his paws abruptly. "Now go back to sleep. I'm sure Flameclaw has a tough training regimen for you tomorrow." He padded over to the entrance and sat down, facing it stiffly, his tail flicking irritably behind him.

Dawnpaw watched him, her eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to make sense of his reaction. Though she didn't watch him for long as a yawn escaped her. She got to her paws and quietly slipped back into the apprentices' den, curling up in her nest and quickly falling asleep.