Chapter 28
The moment Hawkpaw came to, she was instantly aware of a figure looming above her, scrutinising her. Her heart began to pound wildly in her chest, like its very own uncontrollable beast, as she remembered what had just happened, and where Coalpaw and his allies had planned to take her.
When her heart felt as though it would break out of her chest entirely, Hawkpaw heard a calm, dismissive voice.
"Hello, darling. Why don't you open your eyes? You reek of fear, my poor pet..."
Hawkpaw curled her claws into the nest that the cats must have placed her in. It felt as though there was moss woven around a circle of thorns. Sure enough, as Hawkpaw blinked open her eyes in the dusky light, she saw thorns circling the nest. Then, she raised her gaze, and her heart stopped entirely.
Sure, she had expected that the cream tabby would be there, but her time in CometClan and her desperation to push the image of the she-cat out of her mind had almost made Hawkpaw feel as though her worst nightmare didn't exist.
Dawnclaw.
Dawnclaw licked a paw and ran it casually over her ear. She stared at Hawkpaw, scrutinising her. Then, Hawkpaw spoke up.
"You think you can keep me here, Dawnclaw?!" She spat as she stared at the circle of thorns around her, barely as thick and high as her paw. "Think again!"
Dawnclaw let out a huff of air that sounded like a chuckle, and muttered something incoherent under her breath. When she stared at Hawkpaw once more, her eyes had a dangerous look in them. A look that told Hawkpaw that Dawnclaw knew she had power, and wasn't afraid to use it.
Still settled on the ground of the Medicine Den, Dawnclaw sighed. "I knew Nightstar would try to ruin you. She's too playful, doesn't get straight to the point." Then, her eyes narrowed. "Well, don't worry, pet. I'll straighten you out."
As Hawkpaw opened her jaws to speak, Dawnclaw butted in almost casually. "And, of course, your friends are entirely surrounded. It's easy enough for me to order any of my warriors to kill them, if you like."
She posed it almost as though it was a question. As though she was testing Hawkpaw. She averted her gaze, heart still pounding wildly. What was wrong with her? Dawnclaw was just a cat. And Hawkpaw had just killed an evil deputy and led a rebellion. So why was she so scared and submissive?
"W-where are your allies? And you can't be leader, I b-bet no cat in this clan calls you Da-Dawnstar," Hawkpaw tried to sound confident, but her voice faltered.
Dawnclaw twitched her ears towards the entrance to the FalconClan Medicine Den, where thick vines blocked the entrance to the den. Hawkpaw supposed she couldn't be surprised that Dawnclaw had raided the CometClan cave system. The vines completely blocked the light, meaning that the only light coming into the cave were from eerily bright, glowing mushrooms.
Dawnclaw padded closer to Hawkpaw, so that they were almost nose to nose. One more step and Dawnclaw would be in the brambles.
"To answer your first query, little rogue," Dawnclaw chuckled as she spoke. "Let's just say I wanted to have a private conversation with you. They're all outside, but they don't need to hear what I'm about to say. Now as for being leader..."
With a sudden jerk, Dawnclaw grabbed the vine that was connected to Hawkpaw's leash, pulling her paw through the loop. Hawkpaw stumbled out of the nest, narrowly avoiding the thorns.
"What was that for?!" Hawkpaw practically snarled.
Dawnclaw stared at her coldly, unravelling the leash from her paw. "Your chin was drooping. Nightstar truly nearly destroyed your potential." Then, her eyes flashed to the exit of her den. "I never told you my name didn't end in star," she put in smugly. "But yes, a name such as 'Dawnstar' is definitely below me. That is why, as leader of FalconClan, all cats address me as Great Master."
Hawkpaw tilted her head. "So even the non-rogues now call you Master?"
Dawnclaw unsheathed her claws, stepping closer to Hawkpaw. "You don't want to be on my bad side, dear. So shut up. I'll forgive your infarction because you spent the last while in the party land that is CometClan." Her eyes gleamed. "I am the Great Master, for even the Great Mother is below me."
Dawnclaw took a pace toward Hawkpaw, and instinctively Hawkpaw backed away. Dawnclaw laughed as she put a paw down on Hawkpaw's leash, and Hawkpaw could move backward no more. She faced Dawnclaw, claws unsheathed, teeth bared.
"You know I ki-"
Her voice faltered when she saw the dark look in Dawnclaw's eyes.
"Yes, yes, you murdered the AquaClan deputy. But you've also disobeyed me in so many ways when CometClan took me from you." She smirked. "We need to have a talk."
"About what?" Hawkpaw asked, trying to sound bold, although secretly wanting to let out a whimper.
"About me, about you, about my past, my future, all of it." Dawnclaw's eyes narrowed. "There's a lot I neglected to tell you, so sit in your nest like a good rogue. I assure you, after this...chat...you'll be completely loyal to me. Now go!"
Dawnclaw pointed a paw at the nest of moss and thorns, ordering Hawkpaw to go. Hawkpaw obliged almost instantly, to her horror. All her mind's attention was focussed on what Dawnclaw was going to say and do that would supposedly ensnare Hawkpaw to her cause forever. She found herself sitting down, body rigid, heart thumping in her chest, as she met Dawnclaw's level gaze.
"I always like beginnings and ends," Dawnclaw paced toward Hawkpaw before sitting a few tail lengths away from her. "In a way, the end always happens because something new is beginning. And in a way, dear rogue pet, you have the privilege of being a part of the beginning of the end of everything."
Now she's just spitting nonsense. Hawkpaw tried to calm her trembling limbs, but nothing seemed to be working. Dawnclaw pressed on.
"Now, you might be curious about my beginning, for I know yours quite well."
How do you know me?! Is there something Adder lied to me about?!
Dawnclaw laughed when she saw Hawkpaw's look of alarm. "Cute. Now then, I wasn't born where you'd think, to who you might think." She smirked. " You know Duskfang is my littermate already, and I recall telling you a bit of my father, yes?"
"Yes, Master." Hawkpaw's jaws opened and closed as she spoke, saying the words entirely without her own permission.
"Then let's begin with my origins," Dawnclaw purred as she paced around Hawkpaw's nest. "Close your eyes, my pet, so that you can fully imagine and see the story..."
Hawkpaw closed her eyes, and to her own horror, Dawnclaw settled in the nest beside her.
"Now let's begin..."
I wasn't born in the way you would expect, my dear. You see, I was born outside of the clans, to a mother who had fled a cruel and unjust place. FalconClan was dominated by the likes of 'tom superiority.' The cats believed that only the strongest deserved a place at the front of the clan, sort of like CometClan nowadays, but far worse.
My mother's name...well, I suppose I could tell you. Her name was Hawkspirit. Yes, my dear pet, she sort of had your name. Not a grand surprise, since most FalconClan cats were named after birds, so let's not over analyse.
She had three darling kits. Oh? That's right, I suppose you thought Duskfang and I were just a litter of two. Hah. Well she found this other one, and decided to take it in, weak and ugly as it was.
For a while it was just the four of us. Hawkspirit, Duskkit and Dawnkit as my mother called us, and the other one. It didn't get a name since it wasn't really mother's, but she used it. It did everything for us, but it held a grudge against us.
Mother was a foolish and weak cat, for she missed seeing the rage that burned in the little monster's eyes. One day, it attacked Duskkit, and she knew she had to deal with it. So she took the feral away. We never saw mother again, but I knew what had happened, and I would never let it happen again. Mother died a mouse hearted death because she couldn't...control...a measly pet of hers.
But the feral came back. It was scruffy and hideous, with a massive blood scar over its eye. It stared at both of us with its dark, malignant eyes, then sprang at us. It pinned me down, sneering at me. Then, it clawed my pad, a deep scratch that resembled a sun...It was about to kill me, just like it did mother...
"Wait!"
Hawkpaw's heart was pounding in her chest as Dawnclaw spoke, voice smooth and slippery as oil. She didn't understand, couldn't understand, yet a horrible realisation was dawning inside of her,
"You mean..."
"Be quiet!" Dawnclaw snarled as Hawkpaw blinked open her eyes. Her claws were unsheathed, a heartbeat away from slitting Hawkpaw's throat.
Then, Dawnclaw's eyes softened. "Hm. There's much, much more," she purred, voice dripping like thick, black, oozing liquid. "A few words could hardly sum up all that happened, all that I learned next. You only scraped the surface, my pet. But I hope now you understand the debt you owe me."
She tilted her head, as though waiting for Hawkpaw to say 'Yes Master,' but instead, Hawkpaw found herself trembling.
"That kit that your mother took in...She was my mother, wasn't she?" Adder, oh StarClan no!
Dawnclaw purred, pressing a paw down on Hawkpaw's throat as though mimicking what Adder had done to her as a kit all those moons ago. Hawkpaw felt a sort of chilling numbness sink into her, feeling as though everything was all her fault.
"That would be correct," Dawnclaw looked simultaneously angry and smug as she looked above Hawkpaw. "I let myself forget about her, and my plan for rogues, until you showed up. But you looked exactly like her, and in that moment, my path became, well let's just say it became crystal clear. Now roll over, into the thorns."
Hawkpaw stared at the thorns, her muzzle was right beside them. Slowly, she rolled into them, feeling thorns jab into her thick fur and wings, until she was entirely knitted in them, belly exposed. Then Dawnclaw nimbly leapt out of the nest.
"So you see, my dear, you owe me quite a lot," Dawnclaw chuckled as she looked above Hawkpaw, amber eyes glittering with rage. "Just like the thorns and the leash which physically tie you here, you are mentally tied to me, even more than my other new rogues. You are mine."
As Hawkpaw stared on, knowing that any sort of struggling was futile, Dawnclaw sat down, and began rubbing her paw along Hawkpaw's belly as she had done before the CometClan adventure. It was almost as though that had never happened, and Hawkpaw had always been here, always been Dawnclaw's little thing. But it did happen, she reminded herself. And now I do have allies.
Dawnclaw laughed at the same time that Hawkpaw had the thought. "Oh, my pet, I have big plans for you. Yes indeed, you will prove very useful to my plans. Welcome home."