Gaining Height - WARRIOR CATS

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"Hawkpaw, are you with me?"

Still blinking bleariness and exhaustion out of her eyes, Hawkpaw couldn't quite place where she was, nor what was going on. She was laying in a heap of snow, making her injuries feel numb. She shivered as the snow threatened to prove deeper into her pelt.

"Hawkpaw?"

Suddenly, all the memories began to sweep into Hawkpaw like an unforgiving torrent of water. Fragmented memories flowed over her head, and for a second she fell back, gasping for air. The powers...Dawnclaw...Smokepaw!

A paw gently went around her back, trying to help support her up. As Hawkpaw's senses finally began to come to, she took a deep breath. What she caught in her throat made her rear back in confusion. This cat smelled like Adder and Dawnclaw.

Hawkpaw backed away, fluffing up her pelt, and baring her fangs. She felt energised from her sleep, and was ready to attack whoever the strange cat was. As her eyes adjusted to the lengthening shadows that came with the end of night, Hawkpaw realised that she had only been out for about half the night.

"What do you want?" Hawkpaw lifted her chin as she stared defiantly at the cat who was beside her. "Daw-" her voice trailed away when she finally saw who the cat was.

Duskfang. FalconClan's former deputy and Dawnclaw's littermate.

He looked so much smaller than he had in FalconClan. For a heartbeat, Hawkpaw guessed that it was his lack of wings. Then understanding lit her. He seemed small, because he looked so vulnerable and defeated. Scars criss crossed his body, and one of his eyes was swollen and unseeing from a deep cut which ran from the tip of his ear, all the way down to the base of his neck.

"Yeah," Duskfang stared down at his paws when Hawkpaw stared keenly at him. "It's me. Look, Hawkpaw, I'm sorry."

The time for sitting around and dishing out apologies like they're freshkill is done. Hawkpaw stared at Duskfang calmly, though her fears were beginning to trickle in once more, along with her doubt of what to do next.

"You must be with Dawnclaw, right?"

For a heartbeat, Duskfang stared at her with his one seeing eye. "That's funny." He let out a bark of dark amusement, gesturing at his ravaged face with one paw. "Good guess, though, all things considered. But no." He winced when he touched his wounded face. "Dawnclaw did this to me... or at least, she got Coalfang to do it for her."

Hawkpaw's first thought was relief that she hadn't been caught by the enemy. Her next thought was sadness, wondering what Smokepaw would think when she learned of how far her brother had gone. Then, fear and guilt seeped in as she remembered her friend lying broken and motionless.

"It wasn't your fault," Duskfang meowed softly. He stared off at the distant snowy cliffs. "You saved the clans, more than any cat cares to admit."

"We have to find a way to stop this, Duskfang. You're the clan deputy, which means that you must have some id-"

Before Hawkpaw could press further, there was a faint scratching sound from somewhere behind her. Immediately, Hawkpaw was on edge. She flexed her claws, dried blood still dried in around the edges. Duskfang eyed her sharply.

"You're right about one thing, though," he meowed at last. "We need to figure out a way to stop this nonsense...before Dawnclaw finds her way to strike back at you. Believe me, my littermate has many unused resources. She'll be trying to retaliate and kill."

"He's right, you know."

That voice. For a moment, Hawkpaw could only stare blankly at Duskfang. He looked up uncertainly, his tail flicking to and fro. The sound of paw steps from somewhere behind Hawkpaw made her chest tighten. She tilted her head backward slowly, and met the gaze of a dark grey she-cat.