CHAPTER FOUR

Dawnpaw opened her eyes to darkness.

"Where...?" she croaked, tongue feeling limp and fleshy in her mouth. Her throat was dry, and there was a horrible pounding in her head. She felt like her skull was being shattered into pieces, collapsing more with each throb.

"You're awake," said a strange voice. It was soft and swift and urgent all at once. There was something wrong about, something unnatural, that she just couldn't place. But the rough edge to the words was honest, and she relaxed.

"No..." She couldn't be awake. Everything was dark! This was dream; maybe she was being visited by a warrior from StarClan, just as Sootclaw had been. "This isn't real, is it?"

"Unfortunately, this is as real as it gets." The voice was wistful. She felt it come closer with each word. "Just let your eyes adjust."

Dawnpaw did as she was told, twisting her head from side to side and hoping to catch a glimpse of – something, she wasn't sure what. Eventually, the darkness began to recede from her vision, and she realized that she was lying in the middle of a misty forest. Trees rose up around her, but instead of reaching the sky, they merely faded into the greyness that was painted over top of them. It was cold here, and she suddenly felt immensely uncomfortable, as if there were a hundred eyes watching from the bramble.

The cat beside her was tall and lean, with broad shoulders and a ragged pelt. Despite his obvious muscles, he was skinny, his ribs peeking up from underneath his dark tabby fur. Crossing his pelt was a lattice of scars, ugly pink skin glistening in the eerie fog. Dawnpaw couldn't take her eyes off his tail. It was mutilated beyond description, shredded into long pieces like weeds splayed out behind him. "Who are you?" she gasped, a new wave of terror gripping her heart.

The tom made no move to attack her. He turned his head and met her gaze, his narrowed eyes green and neutral. "My name isn't important," he mewed. When she tried to protest, he waved his tail for silence. "But because I know you'll insist – I was named Shredtail. It no longer means anything to me, but maybe it will mean something to you."

"I don't understand," said Dawnpaw weakly. It was an understatement. She had never been more confused, more scared, more lost. One moment, she had been staring at Thickfur, embarrassment twisting in her gut, and the next she had been here, in this dark forest.

Dark Forest. The name sent a stab of fear through her. Was this...it couldn't be...she wasn't dead, was she? Sootclaw, she called, needing his warmth. But as his name slipped from her mind, it fell into an open space, and was swallowed by the abyss.

Sootclaw wasn't there.

Before she could process that information, Shredtail was talking again. "Your name isn't who you are. But that's not relevant right now. We need to move."

"Move?" she repeated dumbly.

The scarred tom nodded. "We're not safe here. Night will be falling soon, and you don't want to be exposed when it happens."

Dawnpaw looked up at the greyness overtop of her. Was it the sky, she wondered, or just an endless canopy? "It doesn't seem like the evening," she ventured shyly. Though the woods were dank and cold, it was still easy to see. The darkness earlier had been her own eyes, not the fault of the forest.

"No," Shredtail agreed, "but it will soon. Night comes quickly here, and it is the most dangerous time. Come with me." He turned away, signalling with his tail.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," said Dawnpaw, overcome by a sudden rush of bravery. All of her questions and confusion were swirling around in the mire of her mind, and she needed some answers. "Not until you tell me what's going on."

Shredtail looked annoyed. "Dawnpaw, I'll explain everything later. Please just come with me."

"No," she said, shaking her head and hoping that he didn't see the tremors in her legs. He knows my name, she realized, breath hitching. He knows who I am. "I want answers."

"Dawnpaw!" His voice was sharp. His green eyes were full of anger, and she cowered from him, seeing his strength for the first time. He was a warrior of this forest, touched by the darkness, and she was foolish to antagonize him. "I understand that you're scared. I will explain everything to you in due time."

She said nothing, but bowed her head and followed him. The anger seeped from Shredtail, his body relaxing, but it was impossible to forget the rage that had filled his eyes. Scared and confused, Dawnpaw resolved to just keep putting one paw in front of the other. No looking back, she told herself, and she followed the tabby into the night.

.

Shredtail led her to a ragged bramble den, hidden within a cluster of oaks. Beside the trees ran a sluggish stream, the water brown and thick. Dawnpaw looked at it and shuddered, no longer thirsty. Fungi lined the bases of the large grey trunks, bathing the grove in a light green glow. The air was cold and stale, and underneath her paws, the ground was hard with frost.

"In there," said Shredtail grimly, flicking his mess of a tail at the den. Dawnpaw stared at him for a moment before obeying. Night had fallen, blanketing the forest in a horrible, pervasive darkness. The she-cat followed the light of the mushrooms, careful not to trip over the roots and stones littering the ground.

The den was small and cramped, but the moss on the bottom was fresh and clean, and the bramble made good shelter from the fog. It was dry inside the thicket, the air warm, and Dawnpaw let out a long, slow breath. It felt safe in here – not nearly as safe as being at home in ThunderClan, but safer than she had felt since she woke up here.

Shredtail appeared at the entrance. "Stay here," he commanded. "I'll be back in the morning."

"What?" Dawnpaw's throat went dry. Frightening as Shredtail was, the tom was her only defense against the darkness – and what lurked within. "You're leaving me?"

"This place is safe," Shredtail promised. "I'll return with the light, and I'll bring you food."

She frowned. "There are animals down here?" asked the ginger she-cat. Dawnpaw hadn't scented any prey during their walk through the woods.

"Some," said Shredtail quietly. "We don't eat, but you need to stay nourished."

Dawnpaw looked down at herself, confused. "But...this is a dream, isn't it? Not a dream, but a vision...it's just my mind, right? I'm not actually dead, am I?"

The dark brown tom shook his head. "You're still alive, and it's that body I'm worried about. Now, stay here." With that, he was gone, fading away into the darkness.

Dawnpaw sank down in her nest, curling up into a ball. She closed her eyes, wishing that sleep would simply overtake her, but that was an impossibility. She was too scared to sleep, her mind still filled with fear and an endless mass of questions. Beyond the boundaries of her mind lay the emptiness. It was nothing, just a lack of life, a lack of colour and membranes and light, and it was right where Sootclaw's mind should be.

The grey warrior was gone. Their minds had been ripped apart, and it hurt so badly, a deep ache that pierced her head and heart and every breath that she took. Sootclaw, she thought, and she was suddenly struck by the worst worry of them all: What if I never see him again?

Her mind suddenly full of everything she wished she had told him, all the feelings that had never surfaced. Dawnpaw had always been too scared, too shy. It wasn't her role. That was how she had justified her silence. She was Sootclaw's support, his heart, his source of warmth and strength and love. But he was the warrior, and she had to respect his boundaries, had to keep their relationship where he wanted it. Telling him how she felt would have irreversibly changed their dynamic, and she didn't want to lose him. He meant so much to her.

So instead of sleeping, she thought of Sootclaw.

The past four moons had been so strange and yet so normal. They had fallen into a routine, had become so comfortable with each other, yet they had also learned to tune the other out. Sootclaw could block her from his mind for short periods of time, and she could return the favour if need be. Dawnpaw was grateful for the ability – they both needed their privacy – but she felt like it pulled them apart. She told herself that it was for the best, that they were from different Clans, that they couldn't afford to be as close as they were before.

That had been before Lilystream.

It had started with short periods of darkness. Then longer ones. Sootclaw wouldn't account for his whereabouts, wouldn't trust her, but his emotions were always the same afterwards – a heightened mix of pleasure and happiness and guilt.

Then, one night, Dawnpaw had slipped into his dreams by accident, and found herself wrapped around a beautiful grey she-cat, her heart soaring and her skin alive. Love had been everywhere within her, from her mind to the smallest hair on her smoky grey pelt. The world was bursting with colours and sound. Everything was perfect.

She had woken, flushed, and then they had talked. And Dawnpaw, being young and shy and gentle, had kept quiet about her own feelings, and had learned to lock them away in the back of her mind, where Sootclaw would never find them. She pulled them out whenever he was busy, blocking him for short periods of time, immersing herself in all the pain and jealousy and what-ifs.

But he was gone now, and she could let herself think all those treacherous thoughts.

She liked him. There it was, simple, bare, such a uncomplicated thought. She liked the way he looked, with his broad shoulders, smoky fur, and warm amber eyes. She liked his humour, his compassion, his dedication. Whenever she talked to him, she felt warm inside, like there was a fire starting in her gut. Dawnpaw knew that he liked her too, that he brightened whenever they spoke, but there was never electricity like there was between him and Lilystream.

That was the reason for her recent shortness, her slight spike in temper whenever their minds met. She was jealous. It was as simple as that. But she couldn't tell him, couldn't ruin their friendship, their connection. Sootclaw told her that it was special; he told her that every day. But it wasn't enough for her, and Dawnpaw hated that. She should be content, but she wanted more.

I'm falling for Sootclaw, she realized. Four moons ago, she never would have thought of him in that way. But she was older now, eleven moons, nearly a warrior, and these feelings were starting to develop. Dawnpaw shivered, cold, and pretended that he was there beside her, pressing his pelt against hers, keeping her warm and safe from the dark.

And so she felt asleep in his embrace.

.

Dawnpaw woke with a start, immediately sensing something wrong. She held her breath, listening to the darkness around her, trying to pinpoint whatever had woken her up. After a long silence, she heard it again, a ragged, raspy noise, dry and slow. There was another lull, and then she heard it, this time closer to her ear.

She reacted swiftly. Dawnpaw threw herself from her nest, paws outstretched, and found herself connecting with something warm and quite alive. Her attacker fell with an angry yell and as she fell on top of her assailant, he pushed up with his hind legs and bowled them over. As they tumbled on the hard ground, she felt spittle fleck her pelt. The cat underneath was scrawny and rabid, and now his jaws were nearing her ear, snapping as they came within an inch of her skin.

Then the weight was gone and Dawnpaw found herself lying on the ground, breathing heavily, and staring up at the lightening sky. It was morning, and beside her, Shredtail had another cat – her attacker – pinned to the ground. The mystery tom was large but wiry, with pale grey fur and thick black stripes. He spat up at Shredtail. "Let me go!"

Surprisingly, Shredtail released him. The pale tabby rolled over, spitting mud from his mouth. Dawnpaw gaped at them until Shredtail turned to face her. "Are you alright?"

"I...I'm okay," she said, gasping.

As the pale tabby began to rise to his feet, Shredtail struck him across the face. "Stay down, Worm."

The ginger apprentice narrowed her eyes. "You know him?"

Shredtail nodded. "He's with me. And he won't try anything like that again, will you, Worm?"

Worm grunted and stared at Dawnpaw, his yellow eyes full of hatred. "I just wanted a taste. Such pretty flesh, you know? Young. Haven't seen anything like that since Tigerstar started training apprentices."

Shredtail grimaced. "Worm here is a coward," he mewed, face expressing his disgust. "He's spent too much time in the darkness. But he's on our side, and we need all the help we can get."

"Help...for what?" asked Dawnpaw. The she-cat wasn't exactly comforted by Shredtail's words. Worm scared her. His yellow eyes were fixed on her now, making her skin crawl with discomfort.

"Getting you home," said Shredtail quietly. "You're the only one that can stop them."

"Stop...who?" Dawnpaw had a sinking feeling that she already knew the answer. After Branchpaw's death, StarClan had been quiet. Sootclaw had received no more visits from their warrior ancestors. But both of them had known that the battle was far from over. The Dark Forest was extending their power, and it was only a matter of time before they began to act.

Shredtail sighed. It was strange to see such a powerful cat so subdued. The sadness in his eyes was strange against his large frame and scarred pelt. Still, it was a relief to know that his temper wasn't lurking just beneath the surface. "I'll start at the beginning," he mewed. "Is that okay?"

"Of course," said the ginger she-cat quickly. Any answers were good answers. Despite that, her stomach churned in anticipation of what she would hear. Dawnpaw was scared. What if something terrible had befallen ThunderClan? What if she was the only survivor?

"StarClan gave you and Sootclaw powers beyond any that we have ever known," said Shredtail. "There is the mind-link, but that will only lead to more. StarClan has opened a world of possibilities to you, and if you were to discover them, it would change everything."

A million questions sprang into existence, but before she could put her voice to any of them, Shredtail continued. "The Dark Forest knows about this power. It scares them. So they brought you down here. When you killed Branchpaw, some of his darkness seeped into you. It lay in wait, existing solely to pull you away from your body. They hope to trap you here forever."

"Why?' she demanded urgently, cringing at the thought of her brother. The memory of him ascending to StarClan had lessened her grief, but his blood was still on her paws. "What are they planning?"

"I don't know," said Shredtail softly.

Dawnpaw continued. "How do you know this? How did you even know to find me?"

"I listen," said the tabby. He shot a disdainful glance at Worm. "So does he. I had to get to you before they did, not knowing if they would bother to find you at all. I wondered if they would kill you, or if they would watch as you walked, lost, until you faded away."

She let out a long breath. "You saved me," whispered Dawnpaw. It was a strange thought. All of this was so foreign. Sootclaw was supposed to be the hero. Her part in this was merely incidental. She had saved his life through the link, but he was the one who had stopped Falconswoop and saved the Clans.

Shredtail nodded. "I did. So don't make my efforts worthless. I'm risking a lot right now, but believe me when I say that you're risking more. If you don't follow my every instruction, you will get lost in here. Do you understand?"

"Yes," murmured Dawnpaw meekly. She cast a nervous glance at Worm before turning back to Shredtail. "One last question, if that's okay?"

Shredtail nodded curtly. "Go ahead."

"Why are you doing this?" she wondered. "If you're down here, it must mean you did something bad. You even said that Worm is a coward. So why are you helping me? Why should I trust you?" Yet she did trust him, trusted the rough honesty in his voice, trusted the way he had helped her so far.

"Trust me because if you don't, you'll die," growled Shredtail. "I hate living in the darkness. I would much rather live in the light. If the Dark Forest wins, the whole world will be darkness. I've made mistakes in the past, and it's time to set things straight."

Dawnpaw accepted his words. "And Worm?"

The pale tabby sneered. "I'm treated like dirt here. Living in the shadows just isn't worth it."

They weren't good cats, Dawnpaw realized. She trusted Shredtail, but he was far from angelic. These toms were not pure souls, tarnished by one mistake, one bad decision. They had been evil in life, and were seeking redemption in death. She wasn't sure how to feel about that, but she knew she had no choice.

"Now, I brought you some prey." Shredtail gestured to a rabbit placed beside the den. "Eat it quickly, because we have a long way to go, and today will only be the beginning."

"Where are we going?" asked Dawnpaw.

Worm chuckled. "Nowhere," he scoffed, "unless we're very, very lucky."

Ignoring him. Shredtail gazed downstream. "That way," he said, his eyes following the thick brown water as it chugged along the treacherous banks. "Toward StarClan. That's where we'll find our answers."

X X X X X X X

A/N: Now that Dawnpaw's older, we get to see how her feelings have developed. You will obviously have noticed her thoughts on Sootclaw this chapter, and we'll get to see how she feels about Thickfur, Branchpaw, and Elmheart in chapters to come. As to the love triangle thing - gasp, I've become so clichéd - Sootclaw obviously cares about Lilystream in a physical way, where Dawnpaw's feelings for him at the moment are more that of a high school crush, which makes sense, as she's still fairly young.

Shredtail is a canon character, for those of you keeping up with the books (even though I'm not, hah). He appears in the Dark Forest, training apprentices, and he's also featured in Crookedstar's Promise. As for Worm...he's definitely an interesting character. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye.

Next chapter runs back to Chantelle's POV, and it'll finish with a Kitetail segment. The plot is finally starting to move, yippee!

ScourgexScarlet: One of these days, you will have to explain your FFN name to me. Also, Thickfur cares about a lot of things - oh wait, no, no, he really doesn't...

frostfeather: Thickfur's definitely a bit of a jerk. He's very unsympathetic, and I'm sure there are moments where he absolutely can't stand Dawnpaw. That being said, you're right, he has a nicer side - even if it's hidden - and I'm glad you've come to like him! Sorry to ruin your Sootclaw fantasy though.

Blackish: What I like about third-person narration is that it allows me to take certain liberties in describing my character's emotions. For example, Thickfur would never say "I keep my memories bottled up but they still haunt me" in the same way that Sootclaw would never say "The first time I saw Dawnpaw in the flesh, I explicitly felt like I wanted to break both of us down and build us up back together with parts of each other and merge our minds forever", or however that segment went. I'm describing their feelings, but it's not necessarily something they put into words in their own minds.

The "I care about you" bit - those are words he wanted to say to Dawnpaw, but didn't. As for her anger at his "expect the unexpected" trick - he didn't just take her by surprise, he held her facedown in the snowbank. That would be a humiliating experience for anyone, and we know how self-conscious Dawnpaw is when it comes to her mentor (you pointed out how quickly she became angry when he commented on the unkempt state of her pelt). Thickfur being a jerk makes Dawnpaw feel bad about herself; this just serves to make her upset, but powerless to do anything about it.

Juniperleaf of BlazeClan: Aww, thanks! I was definitely worried about how Thickfur would come across - it was his first POV and I had to keep him in character despite all this freedom to describe his emotions. Sootclaw and Lilystream were never announced, so to speak, but uh... it's fairly obvious. Especially with Dawnpaw and Sootclaw confirming it here. Limekit is Cherrytail's son, which was explained by the fact that Falconswoop was his father. That being said, I could have made it far more clear. Also, thank you so much for the wonderful compliments. Honestly, you're just going to make me so arrogant!

Coqui's Song: Dawnpaw and Fogpaw aren't linked, but that was a great hypothesis! I never even thought of that, but it would make a lot of sense XD It would definitely add to the SootxDawn dynamic if there was a third party thrown into the mix, too. But no, this is what happened. Please don't be sad about running out of Thickfur chapters! D: Think of it this way - if he has five chapters remaining, he can't die for at least that long!

The Last Clan: Yeah, Dawnpaw's a weakling. That will change...eventually. She'll never be the physically strong character, but as you can probably tell from this chapter, she'll be facing her own coming of age trials.

You guys are amazing. I'll see you all Friday with another update!

Thanks for reading and please review!

- PV :)