Warrior Cats: The New Course (STILL UPDATING)

Chapter Six

Sweetheart looked in between all three cats. "I will be going to the Night Flower soon. I may find my answers there," she murmured, her gaze flickering in between them. "StarClan will surely visit my dreams, and they shall tell me the truth. However, it is in a few day's time, so we will just have to be patient."

"I'll be as patient as I possibly can—but please don't share this information with any cat," Icestar murmured, looking in between his companions. "I'll talk to Flameheart and the others when the time comes. For now it's best not to worry anybody."

"I especially hope the kits don't find out," Silverleaf piped up.

Oops, Dewkit thought, his fur bristling with fear. He took a step back, but without realizing it, his paw met a crumpled leaf and a small twig, immediately cracking into the bare newleaf air. He took a sharp inhale. Way to mess things up!

Even though the meeting of cats was out of his sight, Icestar seemed to hear. "Looks like some cat was already listening in on us!" The leader growled and cursed under his breath as he stalked toward the entrance of his den. Dewkit had no time to run, for his father's dark gray fur was already made out as he stepped outside. His amber eyes widened. "Dewkit! Why are you out of the nursery?" Fearfully, the small kit's mouth opened to respond, but Icestar spoke again, cutting him off. "Wait, never mind. Did you hear?"

"Wh-what?" Dewkit shrunk back, his blue eyes wide.

"You know what I'm talking about," Icestar softly growled, looking down to his son. "You did hear us, didn't you?" Silverleaf and Sharpfang stepped outside the den as well, and the moment his mother spotted him, her eyes widened with horror.

Gulping, he nodded, knowing it was no use to lie to his father, the Clan leader. "I-I didn't mean to. I was looking for Silverleaf, since she had gone . . ."

"Did you forget how I told you not to leave the den because you were in trouble?" she asked. "You disobeyed me, Dewkit."

"I'm sorry!" he squeaked.

A new voice arose behind all five of them. "What's going on here?" questioned the warrior, Flameheart. Dewkit whirled around to see Flameheart and Amberpaw trailing up the path, their tails flicking in greeting.

"Good morning, Flameheart," Sharpfang grunted.

Dewkit looked up to both of his parents, who exchanged a glance of silent words. Though none of them had actually said anything, they looked as if they were speaking to each other. Finally, Silverleaf meowed, "I was just taking Dewkit back into the medicine den."

Dewkit gulped, and then looked at his father. Icestar looked at the group of cats, before motioning toward Dewkit. "Let me have a word with my son before that."

Trembling with fear, Dewkit followed Icestar as he led him to the farther edge of camp. Dewkit always hated getting in trouble; it was his dream to become an apprentice, yet alone a warrior. However, he somehow always messed things up, no matter how careful he tried to be. Why was did he always have to ruin things for himself?

Finally, Icestar stopped a few paces away from the camp entrance, his amber eyes boring into Dewkit's blue ones. Finally, he said, "Dewkit, I don't want you to fear."

"I-I'm not in trouble?" stammered the kit.

"No, you're not. It's beyond our power to restrict words we say from certain cat's ears, after all." Icestar paused, looking as if he were searching for the right things to say. "However, Silverleaf might punish you for disobeying her. And . . ." Dewkit's heart stopped. "I don't want you repeating the things you heard to anyone. Not even Ravenkit."

Dewkit couldn't imagine hiding anything from his dear sister, who always knew everything that went through his mind. Yet, for some reason, this was not a gossiping matter to talk about, and he knew his father was right even though it meant keeping a secret. Finally, he nodded. "I won't tell a soul."

Icestar nodded with approval, but a certain look shone in his eyes that Dewkit often saw as his father looked at him, but could never determine. It always seemed like a look of loss, though he was never fully sure. Whatever it was, Dewkit always wondered about it but could never quite bring it up to any cat. After all, he knew some of MoonClan's dark past before the great battle, which his father and older Clanmates had been a part of. He never wanted to bring up the bad memories, no matter how curious he always was.

"Go on, it looks like your mother wants you," said Icestar, pushing Dewkit's haunches with his nose.

Dewkit looked forward and saw Silverleaf, waiting for him patiently. For a moment, he was scared of what she would think of him . . . until she noticed a look of sadness in the depths of her light blue eyes. She's not mad? thought Dewkit, slowly padding forward.

When he finally got to her, she motioned her nose to the fresh-kill-pile. "Go pick out something for you and your sister to share."

Her voice slightly trembled.

"Mama, are you scared?" murmured Dewkit, tilting his head slightly.

Silverleaf shook her head. "Of course I'm not. Now, don't bring anything up once we get inside the nursery, okay? Some things are better left unsaid." And with that, she made her way to the nursery as Dewkit padded to the pile, wondering what she meant by that.

He stared at the pile, wondering what to choose. He was impressed at the amount of prey waiting for him. Several pieces of fresh-kill lay about, probably left from the night patrol. Nosing one of the voles, he noticed that there was still a bit of warmth left in its dead body, and picked out the fattest one in his jaws before clambering back to the nursery. There, he saw Silverleaf waking Ravenkit. Sagepelt, Swiftbreeze and all the other kits were awake as well. "Here, let's share this vole," Dewkit mumbled as he dropped it at his awoken sister's paws.

She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and looked up at him. "You're up rather early . . ." She gave a great yawn, before looking around the den. "Berrykit, Shadekit, want to share with us?"

"No," Shadekit said as he stood up himself. "Berrykit and I will share our own prey." With that, he padded outside the den.

"Thanks anyway," Berrykit put in, trying to cover her brother's blunt coldness.

Ravenkit shrugged and turned to Dewkit. "Ah well. So what'cha doing up this early?" she questioned as she took the first bite of the vole.

Dewkit froze, and looked up at his mother. She gave him a long, pleading stare. Finally he mewed, "I-I just wanted to say hello to Icestar. You know, before he left for Amberpaw's assessment."

For a moment, she glared at him suspiciously. Nervously Dewkit took the next big bite, hoping that his sister would question him no further. She knew that he was bad with lies, but just this once, he should get away with it.

After all, he thought. Whatever this "destruction" thing is, it's so important! I wonder what it all really means?