Dawnwhisker's Secret

Chapter 1 ~

Leafkit's P.O.V:

After the truce the two kits made, they talked about how good they would be as apprentices, and how they would be even greater as warriors. Late in the night, they succumbed to sleep.

Groggily, Leafkit sat up. Her small muscles ached from the cold. She yawned away the last traces of tiredness.

"Dawnk-" She was cut off as she opened her small eyes. There was a dead tree hanging low over a red river. The river was zigzagging right in her direction. As she shrieked a cry of fear, she was picked up by her fluffy scruff. As her shrieks became louder, a soft voice murmured around her fur.

"It is alright, little one. I will take you away from the fear, and I will turn it into courage."

- - - - -

Dawnkit's P.O.V:

A soft, melodic voice sounded in Dawnkit's sensitive ear. She opened her eyes to see dark trees and shadow. No prey scent filled the air. The trees were dead, or rotting. Old mushrooms sprinkled the grounds. Dawnkit felt as if the sun slept forever in this place. She turned tail and fled. She had to get out of this place. Dawnkit knew this dark forest meant nothing good.

WoodClan territory was much better. Tall trees mounted grass, where they had lived for many moons. Fresh grass was always under paw, it's soft texture could lull Dawnkit to sleep in a matter of heartbeats. Shrubs stay put in their own little area, yummy berries often hung from them. Flowers of all colours sprouted from the ground. Scrabbling of prey was always a pleasant noise, especially in leafbare. Dawnkit stopped her running as she heard mews coming from the other side of a fallen oak. She peered over it and shock kept her paws dug into the ground tightly.

There, standing in front of a massive tom, was a pale yellow she-kit, with orange stripes and grey belly fur. Her green eyes held terror, but excitement clouded the edges. Why is Leafkit here? Dawnkit thought.

"Do you promise to stay loyal to us, and us only?" The tom flicked his long white tail to a group of cats. Muscle rippled under their pelts, scars painting their bodies. "In return, we give you everything you've ever wanted."

Leafkit's whiskers twitched with excitement. But she stopped and glanced at the tom apologetically.

"I've already promised my sister I would only be loyal to her," Leafkit scuffed her paws on the muddy terrain. Dawnkit knew she wanted to join these cats. She can't break a promise, Leafkit wouldn't! Something deep in Dawnkit knew, somehow, Leafkit was never meant to be bad in any way, but she pushed it away. She knew Leafkit was good!

"Why don't you ask your sister to join us? She could become... A good slave," the cats in the back growled in agreement.

"Slave? Dawnkit will not be a slave to you!" Leafkit screeched.

"We call the cats here, slaves. Because they fight and hunt for every cat, who we call family. You could join our family. You would have Dapplefish as your mother, and Darkmask as your father. You could have two guardians, Pinkfur and Mousetail. You would have kits and apprentices to play with. You would finally be apart of a family, Leafkit. Wouldn't you like that?"

Leafkit's face contorted into a twisted muzzled with teeth showing, her ears perked and her eyes narrowed. This meant only one thing, something Dawnkit knew too well. Leafkit was thinking. And she often went with the wrong choice. Dawnkit wanted to wail to her sister, saying she couldn't break a promise. But the cats hunched over nothing, looked scary and dangerous.

"I will join you." The four words sent Dawnkit's heart to an endless pit, where she would never know trust and love again. Leafkit had broken the promise, she had vowed first. Yet, she sent it shattering. All the pieces dissolved into nothing. Still, Dawnkit watched on.

"Dapplefish, as our only she-cat in this dark forest, you may mark Leafkit as our own. You will have an apprentice to teach-"

"But I still have another quarter moon left to become an apprentice. Or do I get to train early and beat the other kits!"

"Only the best warriors train very young. As for now, we will give you your apprentice name. But you must use your kit name in the real world."

"Real world? Am I dreaming?" Leafkit's confused voice sent the tom's voice into a sweet, but deadly purr.

"Yes. You will be able to train in your dreams. Now for your ceremony," he flicked his tail, inviting Dapplefish up. Her silver eyes held ferociousness, as did her strong jaws as she clenched her mouth. "Leafkit, only special cats get taken to the Place of No Stars. You are one of them. We've watched you, from your birth to now. And we will continue to watch you until your last breath. We see the hateful glares sent to the other kits, we see your sharp claws glint in the sun when you stretch. You have hostility, something that needs to be handled carefully. And you have a smart mind, picking quick decisions when they are truly needed. By the powers of I, Icetongue, I give you your training name, Leafpaw. As long as you train here, you must obey orders when commanded. You may train until we've decided you are ready to become a warrior. Do you promise to stay loyal to us, and us only?" Leafkit nodded almost immediately. "Leafpaw, you are now a Dark Forest apprentice. Use the skills we teach you wisely, because you will one day need them. Dapplefish, you are the only properly trained she-cat in this forest, you will take on the responsibility of mentoring Leafpaw." Dapplefish and Leafpaw touched noses.

As the forest began to fade, a voice whispered from behind her: Don't join them. The voice murmured. Where dark cats walk, the stars won't shine.

- - - - -

Hi! So this is another complete chapter. The quote is from Silvereye. (Where dark cats walk, the stars won't shine) Did you enjoy? If you did, vote and comment. Make sure to follow IvyClan2017 and Silvereye_of_IvyClan.

Word Count: