Dawnstrike's Love

Chapter 1

 Dawnpaw padded side by side with Darkstream, she was now ten moons and had many experience. Darkstream was becoming very plump. Frailkit stood in between them, shaking and his eyes stretched wide. Dawnpaw licked his head, "Don't worry, if anything is out there, I'll protect you!" She mewed and puffed out her chest.

Frailkit looked up at the apprentice and muttered under his breath. Dawnpaw licked her long fur and began scratching her unusually long claws on a tree. The gray tom blinked and his orange eyes stretched wide as a twoleg grabbed him and began to bang him against the hard ground. Dawnpaw got into a hunter's crouch and leaped on the twoleg claws unsheathed, which teared her claws out of it's skin and threw her to a tree. Darkstream leaped at the twoleg and was more successful, making it's strange muzzle and eye bleed, but was soon thrown to another tree. "No!" Frailkit squeaked as it was crushed by the twoleg who pounded him against the hard surface.

"I'll save you!" Dawnpaw yowled as she scrambled to her paws, the bark scratched her flank and blood roared in her ears. What if I can't save him? She asked herself. She saw Silverstream appear next to her and she turned to look at her mentor. The starry she-cat leaped into battle but didn't fight anything, she seemed to expect Dawnpaw to copy her, but the apprentice was frozen with shock.

Visions of Hawkkit and Graykit dying filled Dawnpaw's mind and she yowled. She leaped back at the twoleg's giant paw and digging her claws into it to free her friend but she looked down. The twoleg stood up and kicked Dawnpaw away and she tumbled and it went into it's nest. She sniffed the kit's body, which was motionless on the floor, blood dripping out of his head and stomach. She put her nose to Frailkit's body, but the cat's body wasn't warm anymore-it was cold. Frailkit had the reflection of Silverpelt in it's eyes and Dawnpaw wailed. Darkstream had padded over towards them and looked at Dawnpaw in sorrow. Dawnpaw began to lick her friend's flank, "Wake up!" She mewed, her voice cracking from sadness, "Please!"

"She's dead," Darkstream's ears drooped as she whispered the two words. Dawnpaw shook her head, he couldn't be! A twoleg cannot be that strong! She saw Darkstream nod and admitted defeat. She watched Darkstream pick the kit up and she ran, there was no way she would want to see another twoleg after they killed her friend. Darkstream chased her, "Dawnpaw come back!" She heard the warrior yowl but kept running.

She ran and ran until she turned to look back, Darkstream was still after her and she heard her yowl but the wind blowing her ears drowned the sound of her yowling. She bumped into something and fell back, Darkstream was far behind and couldn't help her now. She looked up at the ginger tabby tom that turned around and his whiskers twitched, his fur was long like Dawnpaw's but she shivered. "H-hi!" Dawnpaw cheerfully introduced herself and sat up. The tom looked about her age, maybe a moon or two older. "I am Dawnpaw!"

The tom blinked and said nothing. Dawnpaw nervously shuddered and noticed the blood coming from her flank, was he going to attack her. The tom stretched, "I'm Lightning, you're lucky you didn't bump into my brother Lion, he would have clawed your ears off for sure!" Dawnpaw could sense a hunt of amusement in his voice.

"A twoleg just killed my friend Frailkit!" She blurted out and the tom twitched his ears uncomfortably. "Sorry," She muttered, "I guess I'm just still in shock."

The tom shrugged and she looked into his green eyes, she was very small so she had to stretch to get to the height of his muzzle. They stood still and Lightning looked away and licked his paw, "You better go before Lion sees you,"

Dawnpaw could sense Darkstream ready to attack if Lightning lunged for her. "Okay!" A purr rose in Dawnpaw's voice and Lightning looked shocked, "I hope to see you again!" She turned around and her tail brushed the tom's cheek by accident and headed away. Turning back, she saw that Lightning was sliding into a den. Her whiskers twitched and she padded towards her old friend, who was holding the kit by his scruff.