Warrior Cats: Dawncloud's Journey

Chapter One

Echofeather's words echoed through her mind every time she looked at her kits. Although it had been four moons ago, the thought was still freshly engraved in her heart.

She was wide awake as she finished placing scent markers around her twolegs den, although the sky became red like the leaves, it gave Dawncloud time to think. Besides, she knew she couldn't sleep, not with this thought processing in her mind once again.

Had I received a prophecy? She asked herself, her eyes widening as she glanced at her kits then at the silverpelt. She had heard of prophecies only from her leader Crowstar and her best friend Echofeather. She always hoped she'd be apart of one and somehow save her clan, although she had given up on the dream when she was taken. Thinking about it now, her paws filled with the urge to spring up and run back to the forest, StarClan guiding her with every step.

She began to shiver as a cold breeze circled her. Dawncloud dug her claws into the earth to press down on her kits even harder.  She knew they had to leave before the twolegs kept her in their den for the leafbare. She also knew that her thick fur could stand it, but she realized her kits' fur could not stand the blankets of snow that would be ahead of them.

She waited a few moments before releasing her grip on the earth. The wind had calmed down enough for her kits to use the twolegs rubbish as warmth, so Dawncloud used this as an advantage to stretch her legs.

"I want you to be happy," she spoke softly to her snoring kits. "But the soft life of a kittypet just isn't right for us."

Ravenkit mumbled something as he kicked his leg, causing Dawncloud to loose her breath for a moment.

She knew it was time to rest, as she saw the twolegs light flick off, leaving her in complete darkness. She moved in close to her kits and fell asleep with the sweet scent of Echofeather lingering with her. She knew that her best friend was circling her kits as well, before resting against them.

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Dawncloud woke up very early in the morning to the sound of birds singing their songs. Her heart stopped as she looked down to where her kits were the night before. Just then, she heard loud meowing from behind her.

"Mother, I'm hungry!" Wailed Featherkit who dramatically fell over onto her side. "I'm going to die!"

Dawnfeather rolled her eyes as she walked over to her five noisy children. A few neighboring kittypets glared at her direction, angry that they were awaken from their sleep.

"Hush children or you'll be eating crowfood for a moon!" She hissed, batting their ears.

She knew they would only get angrier the longer they had to go without food, but she refused to give them any more disgusting kittypet food, especially since there wouldn't be any on their journey.

"I think it's time you learn to feed yourselves," Dawncloud spoke, trying to hide the happiness in her words.

She walked into the woods behind the twolegs' home, her kits close behind her. She watched out with her piercing green eyes for any prey, stepping stealthy just as her mentor had taught her. She opened her jaws to search for a scent and soon found one that reminded her of her apprenticehood. She knew that it was a squirrel, and that is was nearby. Her mouth watered at the smell of fresh kill.

  "They'll love it when they taste it!" She purred creeping towards the foolish prey as she was able to spot it.

She wiggled around as she got ready to pounce. She sprang on the oddly plump squirrel, and it let out a sharp cry before dying. She looked around to make sure the twolegs weren't around, her ears perked.

"Wow! That was amazing!" Her kits cheered, pouncing on leaves the wind blew, pretending they were squirrels.

"StarClan is teaching you already," Dawncloud meowed, the wind blowing softly.

She purred in satisfaction as she dragged it under the twolegs den for her kits when she heard a loud bark. She peaked her head out from under the den, panic rising quickly. Her kits scurried under her soft flank and shivered. She quickly relaxed as she realized it was that disgusting twolegs' dog again. It was barking furiously at her and her kits, it's posture making it look bigger than it actually was. She let out a loud hiss towards the small black dog that sent it running. She thanked StarClan that the dog was small and fearful, and not as big as the ones which attacked ThunderClan before she was born. Dawncloud hissed in annoyance, she knew she had to leave soon or she would loose her mind. She looked up at the bright sky and knew it was almost the right time.