Dawnstar's Message

Chapter 32

Finchpetal chuckled. "We can't order around our ancestors, or control our Clan's destinies any more than StarClan can. I might be able to go to Star Lake at the half-moon to ask them... aha!" She took a wide, soft leaf in her teeth and carried it over. "Tansy leaves. Chew it up."

He did. "I don't feel any better."

"That's because the herbs aren't working yet, because you just ate it." She put some greenish pulp on his swollen eye. "Marigold. That'll fight infection. Now go to your den."

Dawnstar stood up with some effort and padded out of the medicine den. Some warriors' gazes met his face or his paw, and they either looked away or had their eyes filled with sympathy. He went up to his den, struggling to keep his balance on the rocks. When he wrestled aside the lichen curtain, his den was waiting for him. It was the middle of the day, he was hungry, and tired, and swollen. Life can't get better than this, he thought sarcastically as he slipped into a deep sleep.

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When he opened his eyes, he was in a night forest. The trees, grass, and undergrowth were tinged with stars, glowing blue. I'm in StarClan, he thought needlessly.

He limped forward through the forest, expecting to find a StarClan warrior, but he found none. The forest was getting darker, and he only got more confused. Why was he here? He turned around to go back where he came from, but stopped before falling into a dark abyss at his paws. Dawnstar noticed the black trench surrounded him for about three fox-lengths in every direction. Every tree in the area had been magically cleared away. He could see the rest of the territory around him in the distance, just too far to jump across the abyss.

"Dawnstar!" A sharp voice said.

Dawnstar turned around. "Coalstar?"

The former EarthClan leader was barely recognizable; he was much younger than he had been last time Dawnstar saw him.

Dawnstar scowled. "Why are you in my dreams?"

Coalstar smiled kindly. "That's not a way to talk to your former leader."

"Yes, I know." Dawnstar frowned. "But why am I here?"

Coalstar's look became serious. "You have a new mate, we've noticed."

"Not anymore," he spat.

"Good. You gave her up for the Clan."

Dawnstar flinched. "Of course that's not the reason! She just hates me because..... because of you!"

The black tom stared at him blankly. "StarClan is not to blame."

"Oh, they aren't? Why can't medicine cats have mates? Why? There are two medicine cats in EarthClan! Cherryfoot loves being a medicine cat and does it well, and it's not like loving another cat would change any of that!"

Coalstar nodded. "I agree. But it is the way of our ancestors for years. The medicine cat code and warrior code must be followed to keep order in the forest."

Dawnstar's amber eyes burned with anger. "But I love her! She loved me before today! She loved me enough to have kits with me!" He shut his mouth. You mouse-brain! he cursed himself again.

Coalstar growled. "Kits? Are you serious?" He started pacing, shredding the blue grass with his claws. "I have to alert the Medicine Cat Council about this... they may already know... this changes everything..." The black leader muttered to himself. He looked up at Dawnstar with burning eyes. "Medicine cats can't have kits. They can't have mates."

Suddenly four rock pedestals, about two feet tall, rose up sharply from the ground. Posed on them were four star-studded cats. Their pelts were fading, which meant that even their bodies in StarClan were fading. On the first pedestal was the misty figure of a dark she-cat. A white tom stood on the second, a red tom on the third, a blue she-cat on the last.

Dawnstar closed his jaws and fluffed up his fur before the four regal cats. "Who are you all?"

The dark she-cat on the first stone pedestal looked at him. Her eyes were a misty blue. "I am Darkwing, first medicine cat of EarthClan." The rest introduced themselves as Cloudfrost, Redpelt, and Riverpetal, of FieldClan, TreeClan, and BeachClan respectively.

"The Medicine Cat Council," Coalstar breathed.

Dawnstar decided that something was wrong. He was tired and it took a bit longer for his mind to process what was going on. "Why are you all walking in my dreams tonight?" He had to be polite.

Darkwing glared at him. "I think you know."

He did know. Cherryfoot, of course. "I know medicine cats can't have mates, Darkwing. But is there some way that the rule can be overturned?"

"No. This rule was passed long ago, and it has been followed for countless seasons."

Dawnstar narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling me that there is no possible way, no chance at all, that medicine cats can ever have mates?"

Darkwing nodded calmly. "Correct."

"Oh, come on!" He groaned. "First of all, I love Cherryfoot. If we were mates, I could be happy. She may be happy. We have basically been mates for nearly a moon now. In retrospect, having a mate could hardly compete with a medicine cat's love for healing their Clan! Loving another cat or having kits couldn't take away their ability to care for the Clan."

Darkwing narrowed her eyes. "Love has unmistakable power, young Dawnstar. You shouldn't underestimate it."

"I love Cherryfoot. She loves me, too!"

"It doesn't seem so!" she lashed out. "Cherryfoot doesn't love you anymore. She regrets loving you, and even the thought of her having your kits makes her sick."

"You're bluffing!"

"In your dreams!"

"YOU are in my dreams!" Dawnstar countered. "I love Cherryfoot! She loves me, too!"

Darkwing was about to draw her lips into a snarl.

"Settle down!" said Redpelt, from TreeClan. "Isn't there some way we can work this out?"

"But Cherryfoot broke the Medicine Cat code!" growled Cloudfrost of FieldClan. "There's no turning back when you have kits!"

"Of course, all cats deserve a second chance." Redpelt replied.

"Wait!" Coalstar stopped them both. "I have an idea."

"Well, out with it," Cloudfrost said.

"Please," Dawnstar added.

"Well, I figure that we should give Cherryfoot a chance to prove her love for Dawnstar. If she shows forgiveness, then she will have proven that she truly loves Dawnstar. In effect, they would deserve to be together."

Darkwing cut in. "But Cherryfoot's destiny shouldn't include a mate, or kits! Plus Dawnstar had a mate and a kit, but they gave him up! He doesn't deserve another mate!"

"Hey! Specklegaze has a new mate, and Whispershine is always there for me! I love Cherryfoot, and if you don't think I've earned a second chance at happiness, then that's your problem!" Dawnstar's tail fluffed up. "I will prove that I deserve her. And if she doesn't love me, then I'll let her stay loyal to StarClan. To all the medicine cats, as well!" And with that, Dawnstar walked away from the council, with Coalstar's voice echoing in his head, "Prove yourself...."

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*THANK YOU for the reads, you guys! I am happy to say I have 1,950 reads now. HOORAY! Not in the eyes of writers with like 8,000 reads for a story... But whatever! Keep on reading ya'll!*