Chapter 3: Start of the Journey
"Dawnflower? Are you okay?" Shadowclaw meows in concern.
"Yeah! I'm fine!" her ears shot in the air in embarrassment.
"Just wanted to make sure." he says lapping at her cheek.
She presses closer to him and purrs gently.
"Dawnflower?" Otterpaw meows.
"Yeah?" she blushes under her purple fur.
"Hollyflower and I need to talk to you." she says motioning her with a flick of her tail.
"Can I come to?" Shadowclaw asks hopefully.
"You should have a hear too."she purrs.
"Shadowclaw! Come hunting with me!" Doveheart calls.
The white tortoiseshell had been calling for Shadowclaw.
"Sorry, tell me later will you?" he calls over his shoulder.
She hisses under her breath, "My brother is a hopeless romantic. He'll come around." Otterpaw says.
She sadly pads after her.
"Dawnflower! You're time is up! You MUST find Festive Clan!" Hollyflower meows.
"I can't! I can't possibly be that cat!" she shook her head desperately.
"At least give me a few more moons to think about it!" she gasps.
"You've had enough time! You have to! What about Roseheart?" she hisses.
Her best friend, gone. She HAD to find them.
"I'll leave tonight." she meows.
"Good, Otterpaw will bring you traveling herbs. DON'T tell Shadowclaw about this." she says.
Her ears flattened against her head.
"It's for you're own good."Otterpaw meows.
"I won't." she nods.
"Expect to be gone a few moons. Or more. You must come back with Festive Clan." Otterpaw meows.
"I need to talk to Shadowclaw." she meows.
"I just said.." Hollyflower meows.
"No, It's just to tell him that I love him. If he doesn't reply I should be good to go." she says.
She pads out into the clearing to see Doveheart and Shadowclaw sharing tongues.
"Shadowclaw? Can I talk to you? I mean... if you don't mind Doveheart..." she stammers.
"Of course not!" she purrs flicking her ear.
"Yeah?" he pads after her.
"We need to talk." she meows.
"What about?" he asks.
"Shadowclaw?" she asks bracing herself for the embarrassment.
"Yes?" he meows.
"I love you." she meows.
He was absolutely silence.
She didn't expect an answer so she padded away leaving him there alone.
She pushed through the barrier and Otterpaw bounced up to her.
"So? What did he say?" she chirps.
"He didn't give me an answer..." she whimpered sadly.
"Dawnflower..." Otterpaw murmurs.
"I'm good to go." she lifts her chin.
"Dawnflower!" Talonpaw, Cloverpaw, Redpaw and Tinypaw bounded up to her.
"Hello little ones" she purrs.
"We're playing "Mouse Toss" wanna play?" Redpaw asks.
"If you're playing with the kits... maybe." she purrs.
"Yeah! Badgerkit, and Bramblekit are waiting!" Talonpaw meows through the mouse.
"Okay, in a little bit I'll need to talk to Hollyflower." she purrs.
"Let's go!" Talonpaw raced away kicking up dust.
From a little while away she saw Shadowclaw padding into camp.
Doveheart looked like she was greeting her, he ignored her and started padding over to her.
She followed after the apprentices and didn't look back.
That night she got up at moonhigh and headed to Hollyflower's den.
"Just in time." Otterpaw meows.
"Good, the herbs?" she asks politely.
"Yes, Here you go. They'll help you on your journey." Otterpaw meows.
"Thank you." she dips her head and gulped them down.
"I wish you good luck." she touches her nose to Dawnflower's muzzle.
"Thanks again. You'll make a wonderful medicine cat." she purrs.
"Goodbye. May Star Clan light your path." Otterpaw meows.
"And yours" she backs out of the den.
She quietly pads out the camp using the dirt place tunnel.
"Goodbye for a long time... Shadowclaw... I love you." she murmured.
And with that she raced through the tunnel.
"This is my destiny, I must find Festive Clan." she murmured determinedly.
Shadowclaw's P.O.V.
"Shadowclaw? Can you wake up Dawnflower? I want her for a hunting patrol." Rippleclaw asks.
"Sure." he meows.
Yesterday, Dawnflower had told him that she loved him.
She meant a lot to him, did he love her too?
The way she looked at him and her warm gaze soothed him.
"Dawnflower?" he calls.
She wasn't there, maybe she was taking a walk or hunting...
"Sorry Rippleclaw. She might have gone hunting." he shook his head.
"Brightfur?" he suggests.
"Not in there either." Shadowclaw meows.
"Okay. You can come too if you want." Rippleclaw meows.
"Sorry, I'm going to look for Dawnflower and Brightfur." he padded away.
"Did Dawnflower leave?" he asked himself.
"SHADOWCLAW!" Brightfur gasps.
"Yeah?" he replies calmly.
"You have to help me! It's Dawnflower! She's gone! I can't find her!" she cries pressing closer to him.
"What?!" he gasps.
"I couldn't find her when I woke up at dawn." she cried.
"Dawnflower was in Hollyflower's den yesterday! I'll go talk to Otterpaw." he bolts back into camp.
"Otterpaw!" he bursts into the medicine cat den.
"Oh, Shadowclaw." she meows.
"Dawnflower. Where is she?!" he snarls.
"How would I know?" she turns around calmly.
"You were talking to her yesterday! You must know." he dug is claws into the earth.
"Sure. Like I'd know were she went." she rolls her eyes.
"Tell me NOW." he snarls.
"After you broke her heart? Sure, like I'd tell you." she hisses.
"What did I do?" he meows in shock.
"You didn't answer her." Otterpaw meows.
"I was so shocked I couldn't say anything." he reasons.
"She loved you dearly, I don't believe you!"she meows.
"I loved her too!" he blurted out.
"Then why didn't you say anything?!" she snarls.
"What have I done..." he dug his claws into the ground, again.
"She's okay. She knew the pain that was coming. She was prepared to leave." she meows.
"Then?! Why did you give her traveling herbs?!" Brightfur meows.
"You do know." he meows coldly.
"I do know." she curls back into her nest.
"Tell me! You know I love her! I need to know! I need her back!" he snarls.
"She is on a quest, you cannot change her destiny." she meows before falling asleep.
Destiny? What...
"We'd better tell Commetstar." Brightfur meows.
"Let's go." he meows head down.
"Are you two okay?" Rippleclaw asks.
"Come into Commetstar's den you should hear this too." Brightfur meows.
They enter Commetstar's den and dip their heads.
"Yes?" he meows.
"Dawnflower has gone missing, apparently the medicine cats know, but they won't tell us." he meows sadly.
"I'll go tell the clan." he meows grief in his eyes.
He called the clan together and told them.
"WHAT?!" Stagsoar gasps.
"Hollyflower and Otterpaw do know were they are." Commetstar meows.
"She has asked to keep it a secret." Hollyflower meows.
"I must know! I am her father!" he snarls leaping at the she cat.
"Leave her alone!" Daisyheart screeches.
"Leave it be!" Fireclaw meows.
His father sheathes his claws.
"Dawnflower would have wanted this. Let Starclan light her path." he murmurs sadly.
This was all his fault. If only he had said, "I love you too." If she never came back it would be all his fault. May Starclan light you're path my love, I wish the best of luck on your quest.