Warriors: Rising Secrets (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty Six; The Sky

Dawnfire woke with a start. The words 'the sky' kept ringing in her head. 

"Are you alright?" Frostflower asked, her blue eyeswere filled with concern.

"I'm fine, theres a forest near here if you want to hunt." Dawnfire replied. The thought of fresh-kill made her stomach growl.

She heard a purr of amusment from behind her and she turned to see Greynose looking at her. "Your stomach growls louder than the bear did!" He joked.

"Hey!" She protested trying to sound offended. 

"Come on, lets hunt like you suggested. I'll go and tell the others." Frostflower mewed.

Dawnfire nodded and her and Greynose headed towards the trees. Most of them were birch trees, now turning brown and gold for the upcoming leaf-fall.

She stalked through the grass searching for the scents of prey. Before long, she spotted a squirrel nibbling on a beechnut. She crep forward keeping her tail low, she wriggled her haunches and pounced. She landed on the squirrel killing it with a swift blow to the neck.

She walked back to the edge of the forest and waited for Greynose. He was back momments later with a starling. They were about to head back when the other cats joined them.

"Thats one big squirrel!" Bluepaw commented as she bounded into the undergrowth.

"Lets venture deeper and see if we can find more prey." Kesrelwing mewed. Dawnfire noticed that Silverpebble was nowhere to be seen.

"Wheres Silverpebble?" She asked.

"Still by the river. She doesnt want to leave Rippletail incase a fox or something gets her. Plus, she doesnt want forest prey." The WindClan warrior answered.

Of course! Dawnfire thought. "OK, I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Yeah. She should be. I'll bring her a mouse aswell." He mewed.

Dawnfire led them deeper into the forest. "Right, lets hunt, but make it quik. We don't want to leave Silverpebble on her own for to long."

The cats seperated to find good hunting spots. Sunlight poked through the trees turning the clearing brilliant colours of golds and oranges. A scent hit her nose, strange but yet familiar....

Cats!

She whipped around, searching the clearing. Greynose noticed her reaction.

"Whats wrong?" He asked with concern. "Did StarClan send you a message?"

"No, I scented something. I- I think its cats."

"What? Maybe you smelt the others."

"No, it smelt like cats but I didn't recognise the scents."

She stood up and gave a good sniff.

"Are you looking for me?" Asked a smooth voice. Dawnfire turned and saw a pair of deep green eyes staring at her from accross the clearing. Dawnfire stalked over until she was half-way across the clearing. "Well, are you?" It asked again. Dawnfire hesitently nodded. The cat rised up from the bushed. It was a beautiful tortoiseshell and white she-cat. Her eyes were a briliant deep green. "My name is Emeraldeyes. Whats yours?"

Dawnfire blinked. Her name was so much like a Clan cats name. "M- my name is Dawnfire." She mummered. "And that is Greynose." She mewed flickering her tail toward her mate. Before she could say anymore, Frostflower and the others padded calmly out the undergrowth, their jaws laden with prey. Some of them stopped dead when the saw the pretty tortoiseshell.

"Who is that?" Frostflower asked challengingly.

"I am Emeraldeyes." She replied to the white warrior. "I found Dawnfire and Greynose here with prey, and I saw all of you going off to hunt."

"Why is she so observant?" Whispered Gorsepaw. Dawnfire silenced him with a stren look.

"You have come onto my territory." Emeraldeyes carried on. There was no hostility in her voice.

"Your territory?" Bluepaw asked. "I didn't smell any scent markers."

"That is because we have no need for them."

"We? Its only you." Bluepaw mewed.

"I am from SkyClan and you are on SkyClan territory."