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Chapter 12

Dawnspirit watched the warriors gather in the camp, her eyes narrowed in anger. The memories of yesterday with Batwing still occupied her mind, and she managed a small smile, remembering how she had been so patient with her. Although she was strong, her reflexes were slow, and the steps Batwing had showed her came out awkward and unnatural.

At first the thought of learning to fight had terrified her, however now she felt more powerful, just the thought that she was no longer defenseless as she had been before. The two of them had practiced long into the night, both determined to excel, both filled with a raging fire against Crookedstar which drove them on until Dawnspirit no longer tripped during the moves, and no longer executed them awkwardly. Now she applied her everyday grace and fluidity into the moves, they nearly felt natural to her.

However the thoughts of the day before were dulled as she watched the morning unfold before her very eyes, a day which she was sure would be bloodstained and grief filled. She gazed up at the sky, so peaceful and blue, oblivious of the crimson that would soon soak the forest. The faint and fading moon was still visible in the sky, and Dawnspirit watched sadly as it floated behind a cloud, disappearing from view.

She looked back at the Shadowclan cats, disgust welling up inside of her. On days like this, she often thought of leaving her clan. It would be so easy, simply to take refuge in Thunderclan, however her fear stopped her. She knew that she still had a duty to her clan, and to the cats as well. Batwing was right, she had to find a way to make a difference, something small at first, then something which would overpower the injustice that now filled Shadowclan.

When Crookedstar had first begun to change things around the camp, cats had protested, and Dawnspirit had been sure that the cruel tom would never get his way. Yet now he had managed to fill the cats with hatred and anger, the emotions which drove them away from the warrior code, away from Starclan, and against the other clans.

The spark which had so easily been lit frightened her, it proved how quickly the cats could be manipulated, formed for the sole purpose of death and destruction. They had begun to follow Crookedstar blindly, listening to his horrid plans, agreeing with his hatred.

The camp was bustling and alive, the cats in the clearing excited at the prospect of action. Crookedstar stood next to his den, surveying the area as Scratchfur organized the cats.

"Kestrelfeather, Stemtooth, Hedgeleaf, Twigtail, Dreamfire, and Shimmerpaw," Scratchfur called out, choosing the cats for the battle patrol. The tom turned around, his eyes meeting Dawnspirit's. He flicked his tail expectedly, beckoning her over.

The medicine cat grumbled in muffled fury, yet got to her paws and padded over, keeping her expression neutral. "Yes?" she asked calmly.

"I need you to gather as many herbs as you can, I'd like you to be at the battle prepared to heal any of our cats. However I don't want you fighting, just stay out of the way and be ready to help any cats." The warrior spoke to her, however he seemed distracted as he glanced around at the bustling and excited clearing. Scratchfur glanced back, seemingly surprised that she was still here. "Well go on," he mewed, flicking his tail back towards her den. "We'll be leaving a moment."

Dawnspirit gave a curt nod and raced over to collect the herbs. Her mind was still toiling with twisted loyalties, for her heart told her that this battle was wrong, however she knew that she had a duty to her clan.

She picked up a bundle of chervil, goldenrod and cobwebs in her jaws and bounded after the patrol into the forest.

Dawnspirit slunk through the reeds, wrinkling her nose at the smell of fish. She gazed at the cats who stood by the edge of the river, unaware of the Shadowclan cats watching them downwind. There were seven of them, four warriors and three apprentices.

Dawnspirit recognized most of them, Ivyfoot, the Riverclan deputy, Lightningheart, the golden tom with black splotches, his apprentice Maplepaw, Glowfoot, the pretty brown she-cat with green eyes, and Lilypaw, the medicine cat apprentice, who sat nearby, watching her friends practice their fishing skills. The last two cats were an earthy brown tabby warrior, and a reddish brown apprentice, both toms.

Glowfoot mewed something which was inaudible, and padded over to the brown apprentice, smiling as he shook off his wet pelt. She flicked her paw at the rushing river, a fat fish flipping out onto the banks. She gave the apprentice a nod and stepped back as if to say, now you.

Dawnspirit glanced back at the Shadowclan cats, the scene causing her pain. This was not a hunting patrol full of warriors ready for a fight, simply young and helpless apprentices training. Preying on them would be like killing the elders during battle.

Scratchfur beckoned to the patrol, his eyes filled with a strange fire.

"Starclan have mercy of us," Dawnspirit whispered.

With a fearful battle cry, the patrol surged forward, leaping onto the stunned Riverclan cats. The clearing was now a flurry of blood and claws, yowls and screams filling the air.

She watched the cats fight, her eyes drawn to Maplepaw was who battling Twigtail. The young apprentice was clearly loosing, tiring out quickly. Dawnspirit stayed away from the battle, frozen as she watched Twigtail give Maplepaw a vicious bite on the neck. She gasped in horror as the she-cat collapsed on the ground, the bite clearly fatal. She longed to dart forward and place cobwebs on the wound, perhaps stop the bleeding as it trickled out onto the ground, however she knew that it was too late.

Nearby Ivyfoot was battling Stemtooth and Dreamfire, his moves quick and experienced, however the two cats were too much for him, and he was slowly weakening. The reddish apprentice was battling Shimmerpaw, and the two seemed to be a perfect match for each other, both frustrated that neither was winning.

To her shock, Twigtail was now attacking Lilypaw, the tiny apprentice simply scampering away from his gleaming claws, clearly having nearly no battle experience. Dawnspirit longed to scream out at the vicious warrior, to attack him, tell him to leave the poor medicine cat apprentice alone, however she held back. To her relief, Lilypaw raced back towards the Riverclan camp before Twigtail delivered any fatal wounds, her blue eyes wide with horror as she ran.

Dawnspirit then caught site of Lightningheart stumbling away from the battle, his walking uneven from the deep bite at his neck, with Scratchfur watching him go, looking triumphant.

She growled in disgust, hating the fact that the senior warrior had given a killing bite to such a young cat. She quickly scanned the battle, hoping that no one would notice as she scampered around the trees, remaining hidden as she followed the Riverclan warrior. The young golden tom lay on the ground, having collapsed there from blood loss. She approached him cautiously, knowing that what she was about to do would be a betrayal of her clan. With a deep breath for courage, she began to cake cobwebs along the deep bites.

"What are you doing." The words slipped past Lightningheart's lips, his green eyes partially open. "You're the Shadowclan medicine cat."

Dawnspirit drew her lips back in an angry growl. "No. I'm a medicine cat. I heal cats, and right now you're my patient." She quickly chewed up the comfrey roots into a poultice and caked it onto his wounds with an angry vigor.

"I'm going to die," Lightningheart muttered, his voice full of despair. "Just go attend to your own cats, theres nothing you can do for me."

Dawnspirit hissed in frustration shaking her head. "There," she mewed, placing the last cobweb on his pelt. "Now run back to camp and tell Lakewhisper to get his herbs ready."

Lightningheart struggled to his paws, his gaze unfocused and face full of gratitude. "I owe you my life," he mewed quietly, wincing as he put weight down on all of his paws. "That is not something I will forget."

Dawnspirit dipped her head in respect at the young warrior. "This battle was not right," she mewed calmly. "You owe me nothing."

Lightningheart did not argue, simply limped back towards the camp, leaving a dribbling trail of blood in his wake. She watched him go, too many emotions running through her at that moment. "One cat can make a difference," she said, a sad smile playing on her lips.

She didn't turn back to survey the battle scene, not wanting to see the blood and death which she knew would meet her. She simply began to trek back tom Shadowclan, refusing to look back on the desolation which her clan had caused.

The blood slowly seeped onto the dirt, running freely from the wound. Maplepaw's eyes were now shut, and she moaned softly, the excruciating pain cutting her in two. She could now sense her body becoming lighter, and a cold feeling of relief trickled out across it, washing away the pain.

She opened her eyes to see a dazzling form before her. It was a she-cat, a gleaming white pelt, and soft blue eyes. Her fur seemed to hold a thousand stars, and she padded over on the air, her pawsteps light.

"Cloudfrost?" Maplepaw mumbled, her words slow and confused.

The she-cat smiled kindly and touched the young she-cat's nose. "Come, little one, I'll take you to safety."

Maplepaw got to her paws, the pain having vanished. She gazed around herself in dismay, seeing the bloodstained battlefield and the beaten down Riverclan cats. "Am I dead?" she asked softly, her eyes fearful.

Cloudfrost nodded sadly, yet there was some joy in her motions. "It was much before your time," she murmured. "But you'll be safe now."

Maplepaw glowered with anger at her words, turing back to see the Shadowclan patrol racing into the trees. "This wasn't right," she hissed, her vulnerability gone. "They must pay for this! Isn't Starclan doing anything?"

There was a thick silence which followed, one swarming with guilt. "I'm sorry," mewed Cloudfrost, shaking her head. "Theres nothing we can do."

"Then we'll all die!" cried Maplepaw, her eyes wide and desperate. "My brother, my mother, my whole clan! Who will save us if Starclan cannot? Why do you choose to stay silent?"

Cloudfrost's expression became thoughtful, pondering the question. "We are afraid," she began. "For there is a prophecy which we do not understand, which has claimed us as the destroyers of the clans." She stopped and once more looked back at the battlefield. "More blood will be spilled, yet the fate of the clans in their hour of need now rests of two cats. They will not lead a battle, or rely on us for support, they will simply expose the true nature of the sickness which is corrupting the forest."

How'd people like this chapter? Does anyone remember Lightningheart from the first book?