"What? What's your fault? Is this about Blackfoot? I thought we were over this." Tigerpaw said, an annoyed edge to his voice. "What do you mean?" Dawnpaw asked. She wasn't able to fathom that he would actually say that. "You were doing so good and now you let a stupid nightmare get to you." He said as he glared at her and his voice was laced with anger. Dawnpaw narrowed her eyes at the brown tabby tom. "I thought you were my best friend, but I guess not." She snapped. She then ran out of camp, leaving Tigerpaw behind.
When she was sure she had gotten far enough away from camp, she slowed and just walked aimlessly around. She let her paws guide her wherever they wanted to go and she bumped into a wall. This is what happens when she trusts her paws. She shook her head and looked around. She growled when she realized where se subconsciously went; to Tigerpaw's hideout. She yowled angrily and slumped to the ground and ended up sobbing.
********
She woke to the sun high in the sky. She forgot where she was for a moment and then remembered what happened during the night. She scoffed and got to her paws. She stretched with a yawn and felt her stomach growl. She padded to the tunnel and made the not-so-short journey to the top. Once the blinding sun gleamed on her pale orange and white pelt, she sniffed the air for the scent of prey. She immediately smelt mouse and she padded to the scent. Once she got closer to the scent, she crouched and continued to search, stopping every few seconds to listen to the sounds of the forest beneath her paws.
She soon saw the mouse and she crouched lower, keeping her tail above the undergrowth and made herself invisible to the mouse. As she got closer, she shifted her weight into her back paws and she wriggled her hips and lunged at the mouse and killed it on impact. She smiled proud and laid down to eat.
As she ate, a strange scent travelled to her nose. She got to her paws and sniffed the air. The fur on her back rose at the familiar smell of fox hit her hard. She heard rustling and out jumped a red flash that tackled her. It snarled and bit at her throat. Dawnpaw was taken by surprise but soon regained herself. She unsheathed her claws and slashed at the fox's muzzle, drawing blood. She paid attention to it's eyes and because if it couldn't see, that was better than one that could.
The fox snarled and while it was dazed, Dawnpaw took the opportunity to climb onto it's back. She raked her claws down it's back and it tried bucking her off. To her dismay, it succeeded with doing so. As Dawnpaw lay on the ground, regaining herself, the fox was quicker and it smacked her into a tree with it's paw and with all it's force. She crashed into the tree with a loud thud and fell to the ground. An image of Blackfoot and the badger came into her mind and she slumped down with a wince after trying to get up. The fox approached her with it's teeth bared and saliva dripping from it's jowels. It looked so evil and it looked like it was smiling.
A voice screamed in Dawnpaw's head to get up, to fight, to do something. "I'm sorry." She whispered as she braced for the fox to kill her. Everything happened so quickly; leaves rustled, cats bursted through the undergrowth, the fox ran off after being attacked, Tigerpaw yelling at her to get up, then darkness...
********
She woke in the medicine cat den and looked around. "Oh thank StarClan you're ok. It's a miracle you came out of that virtually unscathed." Flamepaw said as she hurried over to her sister. She nuzzled Dawnpaw and purred. The orange and white apprentice had virtually no emotion at that point. Tigerpaw rushed over as well and started yelling questions at her, his neck fur rising. "Why didn't you fight!? You were just going to let that mouse-brained fox kill you! Why, Dawnpaw, why!?" He yelled angrily. "Tigerpaw, please." Flamepaw hissed as she backed him up away from her sister. "Here, eat these." The orange medicine cat apprentice said as she padded to her storage and returned with herbs and berries in her mouth. She dropped them at Dawnpaw's paws and she looked down at them with distaste.
"What is it?" She asked as she rolled a berry under her paw. "Chamomile to soothe your mind, juniper berries to calm yourself, and goatweed for... grief. We should've given you goatweed long before this incident." Flamepaw said the last part softly. "I'm fine." Dawnpaw said as she gave a reassuring smile that definitely make them think she was any more better. "Eat it." Flamepaw demanded. "As your future medicine cat, you have no choice." Flamepaw said 'matter of factly' and stood tall and proud. "You should listen to her." Tigerpaw said with a sort of attitude. Both she cats gave him a look and he gave one back. Dawnpaw rolled her eyes and lapped up the herbs and berries.
"Happy?" Dawnpaw said with an attitude after she swallowed the calming cures. "Yes." She said with a nod. "And I'm also glad that the patrol Tigerpaw was on found you just in time." Flamepaw said softly so that only her sister could hear her. "You know he cares about you. When he came in here, he was freaking out. He thought you had... but anyway, he was scared, Dawnpaw. We all were." Flamepaw said softly. "Then why'd he seem annoyed when I needed him?" Dawnpaw snapped quietly. "Doesn't seem like a good friend to me." She said softly, mostly to herself, and with distaste. "He is, Dawnpaw. Just give him some time." Flamepaw advised and Dawnpaw rolled her eyes. She said bye and then stalked out, purposely hitting Tigerpaw in the shoulder on her way out.
When she walked out, every cat in the clearing stared at her. She stopped in her tracks and felt an anxious heat rush through her pelt and travel to her ears. She hurried to the apprentices den and lucky for her, it was empty since everyone was out training or on patrol. She sat down on her moss bed and let her shoulders droop. I can't believe I would've let myself die if it weren't for those cats. She thought as she stared down at her paws. She smelt the scent of pine and she looked up to see Tigerpaw pad into the den.
"I thought you were going to die today. After our fight last night and me not being able to see you and apologize ever again..." He said as he padded closer to her and sat in front of her. She didn't know what to say. "You can stay mad at me forever, I would understand but I just need to say-" He said but was cut off by Dawnpaw. "I'm not mad." She never meant to say it but it was like her body didn't want to stay mad at him. "Ok, that's good, but I need to tell you something; I l-" He started but he was cut off once more, but by Leafstar's yowl. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highrock."
The two apprentices padded out and saw that two kits were standing underneath it. Dovekit and Frostkit. "We have two kits who are becoming apprentices today. This is a critical time in any cat's life. They learn important skills that will be greatly needed when they become ThunderClan warriors." Leafstar said with a smile. "Frostkit already seems like a good hunter, with his seemingly agile movements. Jayflight, you have mentored three apprentices before Frostkit. Please pass all you know and your faithfulness onto this apprentice." Leafstar said and the two cats touched noses. "From this day on, Frostkit will be known as Frostpaw until he has earned his warrior name." Leafstar said with a smile.
"Dovekit will make a great fighter one day and with the help of Willowpelt, she will be even greater." Leafstar said. Dawnpaw felt excitement for her mother. The two touched noses and Leafstar smiled. "From this day forward until she has earned her warrior name, Dovekit will be known as Dovepaw." The dappled leader said proudly. "Frostpaw, Dovepaw! Frostpaw, Dovepaw!" The clan cheered. Leafstar jumped off the Highrock and Dawnpaw padded towards the apprentices den but Leafstar stopped her. "Dawnpaw." She said and the apprentice turned and so did Tigerpaw.
The dappled leader flicked her tail to join her and Dawnpaw turned to Tigerpaw. "I'll meet you in the den." He said softly and sweetly and without warning, he licked her ear a couple times in... well Dawnpaw couldn't figure that out. She let a purr slip from her throat and she smiled at him and they parted ways. She padded to the den and padded in and Leafstar was sitting and licking her paw.
"So I heard some troubling news today. I heard you got attacked by a fox and that you didn't fight back. Why is that?" Leafstar asked. "For yours and everyone's information, I did fight back. I just..." Dawnpaw said but hung her head. Leafstar nodded but spoke her second question. "Why would you have let yourself die like that, at the jaws of a predator?" She asked, seemingly offended. Dawnpaw shrugged her shoulders and didn't speak. "Well I'll let you go. I don't want to upset you further." She said and Dawnpaw nodded and hurried out and into the apprentices den.
Tigerpaw perked his head up when he saw that his friend had entered the den. "Congratulations." She called to the brother and sister and they nodded with a smile. She padded to Tigerpaw and since they were away from earshot of the other apprentices, who were busy getting to know the two new ones, they spoke. "So what did she want?" He asked as they sat close together. "She wanted to know why I would've let the fox kill me. I told her that I did fight and that I just kind of... gave up." She admitted as she flicked her eyes and hung her head.
"It was because of me wasn't it?" Tigerpaw asked, his horror struck face giving him away. "Not just you. Yes, that fight last night contributed to it but it was built up things over time. Ever since Blackfoot's death I've felt empty inside and alone." She admitted. She looked up into his green eyes and saw something. Offense? His facial expression screamed hurt all over. "Not that you aren't enough." She added quickly, noticing his expression. "It's just that losing a best friend was hard but losing another? That just sent me over the edge." Dawnpaw admitted.
"No. I would never leave you or try to hurt you on purpose, Dawnpaw. I love you too much." He said with a smile. Dawnpaw smiled too and leaned her head on his shoulder as they laid down. "As a friend." He added quickly, realizing what he had said. His ears turned pink again and Dawnpaw chuckled. They ended up taking a cat nap that lasted through the whole night.