Here we are. Another chapter is here. Sorry for the delay. The one-shot I had submissions for is done; check it out from my profile. It's called He's an Angel featuring characters from Penguin598.
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Dawnpaw stared back into Blackwing's shimmering blue eyes. Warmth was reflected out of the medicine cat's gaze, making Dawnpaw feel at ease in her presence. But the feeling didn't last very long.
A sister.
Hawkpaw and Shinepaw have each other too.
But what about me? What do I have? I have nothing. Thunderpaw doesn't want anything to do with me.
Blackwing needs me too, but what good am I as a sibling?
"Need some moss for your denmates, Dawnpaw?" Blackwing mewed. Dawnpaw snapped herself back to the present, nodding absently. Blackwing slipped back into her den and came back out with wads of moss. The black pelted medicine cat pushed the mossy wads towards Dawnpaw with her paw.
"Here you go." She said cheerfully before turning back to her usual work. Dawnpaw silently picked up the moss.
The silvery she cat hopped over the stream and headed towards the apprentices' den. Hawkpaw and Shinepaw stood outside, chatting excitedly. Dawnpaw approached the two cats.
"Here's some moss for your new nests," She said, putting false happiness in her voice. Dawnpaw pushed the moss towards Hawkpaw and Shinepaw.
"Thanks, Dawnpaw." Shinepaw mewed cheerfully as she grasped the moss in her jaws and spread it out in the den. Hawkpaw nodded at Dawnpaw and followed suit. It pained Dawnpaw's heart to see the two new apprentices chatting with each other and laughed at one another's antics or jokes. Dawnpaw almost sobbed.
Is this what it could have been like with Thunderpaw and me? Why does the rest of the world have this instead of me?
Mindlessly, Dawnpaw stepped into her own nest and flopped down. The mossy scent filled her nostrils as she let out a quiet, but depressed sigh. Shinepaw jerked her head towards the noise.
"Are you ok, Dawnpaw?" She asked with genuine concern. Dawnpaw looked absently at her friend.
"No, not really." Dawnpaw replied flatly.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Dawnpaw nodded at Shinepaw. She needed her friends right now. Hawkpaw left the den to the two she cats. Shinepaw settled herself down next to Dawnpaw.
"So, what's wrong?" Shinepaw asked, her green eyes glittering with worry for her friend.
Dawnpaw sighed again and answered.
"It's Thunderpaw. He's been so cold to me ever since the incident as kits. It still hurts after all those moons ago and he can't seem to let it go."
Shinepaw was silent for a moment.
"Well, sometimes cats need time, but I don't think that's it."
"I didn't either."
"Have you tried talking to your parents?"
The idea stuck into Dawnpaw's mind. She'd never thought of that before. In fact, it had been a while since Dawnpaw had talked to Stoneheart or Embersoul about anything. Dawnpaw had been distant from her parents since she became an apprentice.
The silvery she cat's eyes lit up with hope.
"I didn't think of that. Thanks so much, Shinepaw!" Dawnpaw meowed with excitement. Shinepaw smiled, relief showing across her golden furred face.
"You're welcome. I'm always here if you need me, Dawnpaw. I'd better go meet my mentor now." With the last sentence, Shinepaw left the Apprentices' den.
Dawnpaw was left alone with her own thoughts.
Tomorrow after the sunhigh patrol I'll go talk to Stoneheart first. Then I'll go to Embersoul.
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Sunhigh approached faster than expected. Dawnpaw had set off with Ripplesky, Icepelt, Redfur and Darkshade for a patrol along the WindClan border. Dawnpaw noticed Darkshade fidget his paws impatiently as the patrol waited for Thunderpaw, the last member. Dawnpaw almost yowled in frustration as she heard Icepelt say: "My apprentice, Thunderpaw, is coming with us."
The last thing Dawnpaw needed was hostility from her distant brother. The last thing she needed was Thunderpaw getting her in trouble for his own foolish behavior. The last thing Dawnpaw needed was to be humiliated by her brother in front of a patrol from another clan. The silvery apprentice trudged off through the thick river grass out of camp with the party disdainfully. Dawnpaw could almost hear her brother's groans and complains as he shot her a nasty glare on the way out of camp.
Dawnpaw continued to follow the patrol. So far the trip was uneventful. The party of cats marked the border and checked for intruders, which there were none. Dawnpaw sat down for a moment in the rough moor grass. Her legs ached from staying on her paws the entire morning.
I shouldn't have gone hunting so early this morning. I'm exhausted already. I should take Timberclaw's offer for a nap next time.
Quickly, Dawnpaw stood up and bounded to her paws. The patrol was getting ahead of her! Not wanting to be left behind, Dawnpaw sprinted towards the patrol. But suddenly, she felt herself launching into the ground! Yelping in surprise, Dawnpaw landed in a patch of weeds with her face in the dirt. Furious, with her eyes blazing, Dawnpaw turned her head to see a ginger tom with darker spots on his back staring back at her, a rabbit clamped tightly in his jaws. The grey apprentice was surprised to see emotion swimming in his leafy, green irises.
Fear? He's a full grown warrior! He could easily overpower me in fight. Why would he be afraid of me?
"You're trespassing on RiverClan territory, Mothspots." Dawnpaw hissed at the WindClan warrior she had recognized from gatherings. Dawnpaw fluffed up her fur in annoyance, hoping the sight would send the tom running. Mothspots' expression didn't change and he didn't move, however.
"Please, it was an honest mistake," The young warrior explained, "I chased this rabbit over the border accidently."
Dawnpaw looked at Mothspots. He didn't look like he stole the prey. Plus, rabbits rarely crossed the border into RiverClan territory anyway. This was the first time Dawnpaw had actually seen a rabbit close up. It was clear Mothspots wasn't lying. To top off the evidence, the rabbit he was holding smelled like moors and WindClan with barely a trace of RiverClan scent. There was no possible way the warrior stole anything.
"Alright, you can go," Dawnpaw said, "I won't tell my patrol about you."
Mothspots' eyes glittered with gratitude to the silver she cat.
"Thanks! Especially don't tell Whitepool," Mothspots mewed as he pointed to a white she cat with brown paws in the distance standing over a bush. "She'll have my tail if she caught me over the border."
Mothspots' whiskers twitched with amusement. Dawnpaw snickered.
"Better go before you lost your tail then." Dawnpaw giggled. She turned to leave until she saw the white she cat padding towards her. The grey apprentice stopped dead in her tracks.
Uh oh.
"Mothspots, let's go home now. You got your rabbit. Plus, this apprentice needs to catch up with her patrol." The white she cat said as she stood by her clanmate. She winked at Dawnpaw, showing she meant no harm towards the RiverClan apprentice.
"I was coming, Whitepool." Mothspots mewed, smiling at the white she cat. The two cats turned to leave. Dawnpaw turned her back towards the way she came, confident the two wouldn't stay. She padded a few steps forward until she was face to face with Thunderpaw.
"Why didn't you shred him?" He hissed at his sister, dark amber eyes glowing with a hate that almost made Dawnpaw shudder. Feeling a rage at her brother's hostility, she verbally fought back.
"He wasn't stealing our prey. He had a rabbit that smelled like WindClan. He couldn't have caught it on our territory because the rabbit would have smelled like us." Dawnpaw growled back. Thunderpaw narrowed his eyes, debating his next move.
"I still think you should have taught that rabbit-breath a lesson."
Dawnpaw let out a silent huff of frustration. Couldn't her brother see past violence?
The silvery she cat walked back ahead of Thunderpaw, She didn't bother look back to see if he was following her.
Thunderpaw can take care of himself. I can just make a lie to get him in trouble for getting left behind.
Dawnpaw took another step. The patrol was in sight, waiting for her.
Thank StarClan.
Then, she heard a battle growl in the distance.
Thunderpaw!
Dawnpaw spun around on her paws and ran towards the sound. A battle was imminent and she had to protect her brother.
Pushing through some reeds and marsh grass, Dawnpaw was greeted with the sight of Thunderpaw locked in a fight with a lanky, black she cat. From her scent and build, Dawnpaw could tell she was a WindClan cat.
Launching herself at her brother's attacker, Dawnpaw knocked the black she cat off of Thunderpaw, who leapt back onto his ginger paws.
"Get away from my brother you piece of mouse dung." Dawnpaw growled into her enemy's face. Fear flashed in her enemy's light blue eyes as she clawed at the WindClan cat's shoulder. Hissing in rage, the black she cat fought back with swipe across the ears. Dawnpaw yowled and struck a powerful blow to her enemy's chest, sending the little black cat skidding into some weeds. Dawnpaw stared her enemy down, fear scent coming off the WindClan cat in waves Dawnpaw could smell.
Despite her fear, the black she cat readied herself to attack again. This time, Dawnpaw could tell she was aiming for Thunderpaw. Dawnpaw maintained her defensive stance in front of her brother, determined to protect him from further harm. The black she cat was about to strike when a familiar voice stopped her.
"Nightpaw, no!"
The black she cat turned her light blue gaze to a white she cat who bounded up behind her. It was Whitepool! She had come to the apprentices' rescue. The white she cat continued to scold the black she cat.
"Nightpaw, you never get into battles you know you can't win. These two weren't even trespassing anyway. They were well away from our border." Whitepool meowed sternly. Defiantly, Nightpaw answered back at her clanmate.
"But you said Mothspots got away without a fight. I wanted to teach RiverClan a lesson. They shouldn't mess with WindClan."
"I was glad he came back unhurt. I'm glad any of our clanmates come back unhurt from patrols. That was no excuse to be picking fights with cats that did nothing to deserve it. Now go home, Nightpaw. You'll be the one explaining to Goldenstar and Stormheart how you lost a battle you started."
"But I-" Nightpaw attempted to finish her thought.
"Go if you don't want to care for the elders for the next quarter moon." Whitepool said fiercely. With that, Nightpaw left for WindClan's camp. Whitepool turned towards Dawnpaw, who noticed her patrol running up to them.
"What happened?" Ripplesky asked, her eyes blazing with worry for her clanmates. It was Whitepool who answered her.
"I'm so sorry. My apprentice got a little carried away. I'm sorry for any of the injuries she caused to your apprentices."
Redfur nodded at the WindClan warrior with a knowing expression.
"It's fine. I'm sure it won't happen again."
Mothspots and Whitepool belong to Penguin 598.