Warriors: Rising Secrets (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty: Greynose

Greynose woke up to a twisting and turning Dawnfire. This had happened the other night too. She had said everything was alright, but he didn't believe her. It was clearly obvious that something wasn't up.

He watched her for a bit and she stopped moving. He looked at her closer to notie that she wasn't breathing.

Oh no! He thought. "Dawnfire!" He said softly. She wouldn't move. "Dawnfire!" He repeated. He placed his front paws on her flank and shook her trying to wake her, but she wouldn't wake up. He took his paws off her flank and started to groom himself. As he was licking his paws he tasted blood. Maybe I cut my pad on a stone. He thought but as he examined his paw he noticed no wound. His other paw was covered in blood too. It must have come from Dawnfire. He quickly examined her flank and found a long wound on her side. It was to small to be a fox, and to neat to be a badger. It must have been a cat.

"Rippletail!" He called. Moments later the RiverClan medicine cat came pounding towards him.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Its Dawnfire. She was muttering and stuff in her sleep and then she stopped breathing and she has a long wound down her side and-" 

Rippletail cut him off. "Woha. Slow down Greynose."

"Sorry, she has a wound, can you check it please?" He asked her.

She nodded her head and bent down to examine Dawnfires' wound. While she was doing that he thought about her wound again. It was along her flank, from her shoulder to her back leg. He noticed the others crowding round and saw Frostflower crouching down beside her. He saw Gorsepaw and his stomach flipped. He had attacked her the other day. No cat wanted her dead more than him. Without thinking Greynose instantly drove into Gorsepaw and pinned him down.

"How dare you attack her in her sleep!" He growled through gritted teeth. He scraped his claws across Gorsepaws' shoulderblades. It was torturing him that he wasn't allowed to rip his throat out.

"I didn't att- attack her."

"Greynose! Get off him." Frostflower ordered him. "Dawnfire is awake."

Greynose imedietly leapt of the WindClan apprentice and dashed to Dawnfires side. Her ginger fur was ruffled and dul and the bright sparkle in her eyes was replaced with weariness.

"Dawnfire, are you all right?" He asked her soothingly.

She stared at him sadness. "I lost a life." She said almost to herself. "How am I supposed to lead these cats when a dead cat can kill me?"

"What?" Frostflower asked with confusion. "What do you mean a dead cat? Dawnfire, what is going on?"

Dawnfire sighed and heaved herself up. "Foxclaw, can you get the others sorted, Frostflower and Greynose follow me. I need to tell you something. Foxclaw, make sure the others do not leave your sight."

Foxclaw nodded and followed his orders. Greynose and Frostflower followed Dawnfire across the river. The river was  shallow enough to wade across and they only got their paws wet. Greynose didn't really like the rush of the currant which could sweep him off his paws but he carried on behind the two she-cats.

Once they crossed Dawnfire sat down and signaled for them to do the same.

"A few nights ago I ended up in the Place Of No Stars or the Dark Forest in my dream. Tigerstar found me and offered me power. I refused. StarClan warriors came to help me and get me back onto safer grounds, but before they did, Tigerstar threatened me. Last nigh I ended up there again and Hawkfrost tried to get me out."

"Why?" Frostflower asked curiously. "Hawkfrost is double of Tigerstar with the only difference being the eye colour."

"Hawkfrost said that when Bramblestar joined StarClan he wanted to be close to his brother as they are half-brothers. Bramblestar gave Hawkfrost access to StarClan. After that he grew a kinder heart. He tried to help me but Tigerstar stopped him. He threatened to kill Hawkfrost but I stopped him. Instead he killed me, but not enough to take away both lives."

Greynose and Frostflower were speachless. 

"I'm sorry I kept it from you, but I don't wan't to talk about this anymore." Dawnfire said. She got up and went back to the temporary camp not caring if they followed her.

"I'm worried. What if she loses her life in a fight with the bears?" Frostflower mumbled. They had obviously made up after their kind of argument.

"Well, lets just hope that dosen't happen." He said. 2Lets go back though." The two cats followed the scent trail that Dawnfire had left.

Once they got back Dawnfire led them yet again thrugh unknowen territory.