Chapter 2
Dawn leapt down and walked over to the Kit-Care den. Snowy greeted her and walked in. There was 1 other queen with 3 kits, 2 toms and a she. "Alright everyone, there is a new kit if you didn't here. Her name is Dawn. Treat her kindly, she is one of us now." Snowy said and they all squeaked an ok. Dawn looked at the girl and her eyes glittered with happiness, but not the very happy, a weird happy. All the kits had marks on their faces so she guessed she would get hers soon. The other queen, a white she with brown, gold, and black spots padded over. "I'm Leaf. These are my kits in order from left to right." She mewed. Her voice was like honey, and she was so beautiful. She made Dawn feel at home. "Kits." She said and they lined up, the girl on the left. "Smoke, Dust, and Owl. This is Dawn." Leaf said and she nodded.
She noticed Smoke watching her mother. "Oh Snowy we should go to the Healer for a check up to see how long it..." Leaf mewed but the rest of the conversation was gone as soon as they were out of sight. Dawn watched them then felt something tackle her. She felt a stinging pain in her sides and looked up. Smoke. She wriggled under her weight and squeaked in protest. "I found a mouse it seems! Not a kit no no, a MOUSE." She said, bad intent coating her voice. "Let me up!" Dawn squeaked. "Nope, you are my prey. You are mine..." She said looking her into the eyes and Dawn shuddered. She slid her paws next to her. Using all her strength, she pushed herself up knocking Smoke off, taking a bit of her pelt with her. Owl and Dust trotted over and looked at her. Dawn fell, her legs felt weak from pushing off such weight. Owl and Dust put their heads under her forelegs and her beck legs over their flanks and walked over to Snowy's nest. They set her down and she landed on a shoulder and hissed in pain. Smoke stalked over and hissed. "If you think you can shake me off every time you're wrong. You're pitiful and weak. You need to GROW UP!" She spat. Owl tackled her and hissed at her. "Didn't you hear mom? BE NICE. Snowy AND RuneStar said it to so knock it off." Owl spat.
Smoke shoved him off and stalked off to a corner and disappeared. Snowy and Leaf walked back in and saw her bleeding shoulders. Snowy immediately licked her shoulders. "OWW! That hurts..." Dawn said, Snowy's rough tongue licking her. "Come on, to the Healer." She said and picked her up. She trotted across the cave to another cave entrance with 2 paws and leaf's in the red berry juice. "Rush? I'm back sorry. Dawn got hurt. And since she's here she might as well get her marks." Snowy said walked around a bend into a little clearing with a stream running through it. A small cave entrance to the right and to the left. Moss and feather nests on the other side of the river. A calico tom padded out and sighed. He disappeared as Snowy set her in one of the nests. "Fhath faphend?" HE mewed through a mouthful of leaves. "What?" Dawn said. "What happened?" He repeated dropping the herbs on a flat stone. "Smoke attacked me digging her claws into my shoulders and I flung her off after a while because i had to muster up the strength." Dawn mewed and he nodded as she saw him crushing and rolling with his paws. He could take some water in a broad leaf and pour a little on the leaf mixture. She watched him and he put it on her shoulders. "Ow." She hissed at the sting and he placed cobwebs over it.
"Don't play to much, and Snowy, tell Smoke to stop. Next time tell the leader, all the Smoke based injuries are starting my nerves. I mean Dawn just got here too." Rush said and disappeared down a different hole. "Bye!" He called back. "Bye!" Snowy mewed picking up Dawn. She padded over to the nursery then turned back around and trotted back. "Markings?" Rush said padding out. "Marfhings." Snowy said through Dawn's scruff. She set her down in the nest again and Rush came back with a stone dip, that he could walk around with. He set it down and dipped his paw in and put the markings on her face. The juice felt cool on her fur. "Alright, bye." Rush said disappearing down the herb cave. Snowy didn't bother staying and picked her up and trotted to the nursery where Owl was writhing on the ground in pain and Smoke was getting scolded. Snowy set down Dawn who ran over to Owl. "What happened?" She heard Snowy mew to Leaf. "Smoke attacked him and drew blood." Leaf mewed. She turned to Smoke. "Again Smoke? Why are you like this? Stop hurting your brothers and the other kits and apprentices! I am sick of it, they are sick of it, Snowy is sick of it, and so is Rush. Just stop! I don't want Snowy's kits to have scratches on them and die the first few days ok!? Get yourself together!" Leaf yelled and Dawn was surprised at how angry she was. Apparently Smoke Has been annoying everyone. Smoke glared at her mother, sadness and anger glinting in her eyes and she turned and disappeared into her kit sized hole. Leaf stuck a small finch in there and a leaf of water and stuck a rock in the way of the entrance.
Dawn was licking Owl's wounds and he and stopped and was falling asleep. "I will take him to Rush, AGAIN." Leaf said. Her honey voice on edge. She picked up Owl and trotted out of the den with Dust on her heels. "Let's get some rest. You must be tired." Snowy said and went into her nest, Dawn curling up next to her. "Good night Snowy." "Night dear..." Snowy mewed then fell asleep. Dawn closed her eyes and drifted off into a much needed, sleep.