Chapter One
Spiritpaw came in quietly following Spotpaw. Fruitfur chose to sit selanjutnya to his leader; Spotpaw chose a spot selanjutnya to Dawnpaw, leaving Spiritpaw to sit at the back of the den, hearing the angry hissing of the senior warriors below. Spiritpaw tucked her tail away from the entrance, there is just no way they are going to claw the bulu of my tail!
Dawnpaw started to meow at Flamestar, while the others listened, Spiritpaw's mind started to drift away from the conversation. Spiritpaw squeezed her eyes hard and shook her head, this is why she forgot how to use burdock root and juniper berries!
"Well," Flamestar berkata awkwardly, "The truth is that it smelled like tress and woods but it smelled a tiny bit different from your scent.” Dawnpaw nodded and the wind from outside ruffled Spiritpaw's fur. Then she nearly gagged on a scent, and she was plunged into darkness.
There was a splash in a greenish river and Spiritpaw heard the sound of many drumming paw steps. A long eerie yowl sounded and Spiritpaw saw her tail and a long grey muzzle try to snap at it. Dark green eyes looked at her face and she saw blood dripping out of a mouth. Just dripping, then gushing until it filled Spiritpaw's vision like a new leaf flood. Then through the blood, Spiritpaw saw a faint outline of a creature she had in nightmares so many times before, a wolf.
...
Dawnpaw looked at the leader curiously, after the wind had carried a strange smell into the den. "Was that the scent?" Dawnpaw asked. The leader gave a weak nod. Dawnpaw sniffed the air, then sniffed her own pelt. Similar, but not quite, just like the leader had described it.
"Well, let’s go and track down the scent while we can,” Dawnpaw meowed, “that way we can see what it really is.” The leader stood up tall and let his muscles ripple under his pelt, "You are not going anywhere without being watched, anda are not going!" Dawnpaw, who had turned around and was padding towards the entrance of the leader’s den, looked behind her back, "Well, why not come Flamestar? I know anda always want to look out for an inexperienced cat, that is why anda are always so friendly during Gatherings at the maple Woods, is it not?”
Flamestar unsheathed his claws, then curled them back in and Dawnpaw noticed how deadly they looked as they glinted in the last rays of sun as it started to hit the horizon. Fruitfur stepped up to the leader and whispered into Flamestar’s ear. Flamestar cast a doubtful look towards Fruitfur then flicked his tail in acknowledgement. The leader turned to Dawnpaw and meowed under his breath loud enough for only Dawnpaw and Fruitfur to here. “I will go, but I will lead you,” he muttered, “only because anda might find the prey stealer and gabung forces with them.” Flamestar started to head out of his sarang, den and into the last streaks of today’s sun. Dawnpaw was behind Fruitfur, blocking her view of the leaders face.
Meanwhile the group of populer she-cats had gotten some fresh kill and was now sharing it in peace. Except for Robinheart, who had gone to the pakis covered entrance of the nursery. She was now watching her three kits try to replay the baru saja battle, while she shared tongues with a tom Dawnpaw thought was named Skybreeze.
One of the three kits stopped playing with her littermates and padded straight up to Dawnpaw, leaving tiny paw marks in the earth. Her eyes were wide with awe when she looked at Dawnpaw. “Are anda Robinheart’s kit that lives in OakClan?” her voice was tiny and shy, “Robinheart once mentioned she had a mate in OakClan, she berkata he was the most caring tom she ever met. She berkata his name was Fog-”
At that moment Spotpaw had gently shoved the little kit and started to head it away from Dawnpaw and head it to Robinheart instead. Halfway between the way to Robinheart he paused and looked at the kit sternly, quietly he started to whisper something to the kit and Dawnpaw strained her ears to hear the words. “Lilykit, what were anda thinking? Nobody in the Clan except anda knows that Dawnpaw and I are from two different Clans!” Spotpaw started to flick his tail side to side, “Do anda know how much trouble Robinheart would get in if the Clan knew that Gingerfur wasn’t her mate but Fog-” The little cat jumped and put a paw to his muzzle to stop him from saying anything further. Spotpaw glared at her then realized why Lilykit had done that and gave a tiny nod. She quietly took away her paw from Spotpaw's muzzle and put it to her own. Spotpaw rolled his eyes. Then the kit went back to her littermates and pounced on her brother, “I have now defeated you!” She meowed triumphantly.
Spotpaw looked back at Dawnpaw and started bounding past her, “The rest of the kucing might be gone soon, Dawnpaw! We need to hurry!” Dawnpaw watched as a golden tail with black spots disappear through the entrance. The camp was suddenly quiet. Dawnpaw glanced nervously around to see hostile eyes look back in every direction. “Uh, hi?” The cat nearest to her started snarling at her. Dawnpaw began to get a little lebih weary as lebih kucing started growling and closing a lingkaran around her. “Uh, see anda later!” She meowed and Dawnpaw launched herself at cheetah speed to the entrance to see Spiritpaw a little behind the group of SunClan cats, beckoning her to come with her tail.
When she reached her friend Spiritpaw gave her a worrying look, “What took anda so long? I thought anda were being ripped to shreds oleh SunClan warriors back there when I saw Spotpaw come without you!” Dawnpaw tried to laugh at the joke but it was useless, anda have no idea how much anda could have been right, Dawnpaw thought.
Chapter 2
The beautiful meadow was now far behind them and they were now in a foggy forest. The mysterious scent had led them here, and now the smell was getting stronger, and Dawnpaw began to wonder if this was the best idea, to head straight to the mysterious creature and confront it.
Beside her Spiritpaw jumped at every rustling leaf and bird that let out a call atau swooped over their heads. Spotpaw was sniffing the ground ahead of the Flamestar, who looked very nervous at being here. Fruitfur dropped back beside Dawnpaw and put his muzzle in his ear, “None of the SunClan kucing like going here because it is the forest and it is dense but Flamestar particularly doesn’t like this place because this is where he once got lost.” Fruitfur meowed, “He berkata he came across strange rocks that made him back up into a river and he nearly drowned, he berkata he thought he saw his life flashing before his eyes. That was before he was a deputy.” Dawnpaw nodded in reply and Fruitfur padded back behind Flamestar to rest a tail on him.
Spotpaw ahead gave a cough then lifted his head in disgust, “Yuck!!! It smells of gagak food!” Fruitfur bounded up to Spotpaw and swatted him playfully with a sheathed paw. “Mouse-brain! It is gagak food!” He meowed, “Whatever did it just decided to cover whatever smells with leaves to make it look neater.”
Dawnpaw crept up closer to see a mound of leaves, atau was it just a mound of leaves? Slowly she began to dig into the pile. Fruitfur and Spotpaw started to help too but Flamestar kept a aman, brankas distant away and Spiritpaw looked around, as if she thought she was being watched. When Dawnpaw noticed how Spiritpaw was akting she began to have the feeling that something was watching her too.
Taking her paws away from the pile she saw a skull with flesh still on it, the bone so bright, it dazzled in the gloom. “Yuck! You’re right Spotpaw this is disgusting!” Fruitfur and Spotpaw came around from their places and peered in the hole to look at the gagak food. Fruitfur gave it a prod, sending flies to zoom out of the hole. Fruitfur looked up and exclaimed, “It’s a deer skull!”
Spiritpaw gave a gasp of horror. All kucing turned to Spiritpaw, and Spotpaw gave a snort, “You are always jumpy, aren’t you?” Spiritpaw shook her head and Dawnpaw realized her tail was tucked under, “No. No,” She meowed with a wail she added, “No!”
Flamestar suddenly scrambled at a nearby tree. “The scent is here, can’t anda tell? It’s fresh and strong!” Spotpaw gave a doubtful glance at the tree. “We can’t climb.” Spotpaw berkata bitterly, “We can’t climb trees! Dawnpaw could anda help Fruitfur up a tree?” Fruitfur replied back from somewhere over head on a branch. “No need! I know how to climb trees! Since I was a former rouge I had to learn to get away from dogs!” Fruitfur added, “Dawnpaw could anda push him up so I can grab him oleh the scruff?” Dawnpaw nodded and started pushing Spotpaw up the tree.
Flamestar knocked Spotpaw down from the pohon just when Fruitfur was about to grab Spotpaw oleh the scruff. Dawnpaw lost balance and fell down, “What was that for?” Dawnpaw hissed scrambling to her feet. Flamestar turned and spat, “Push me up!” Spotpaw suddenly growled at Flamestar and said, “Don’t anda dare speak to her that way! She is only an apprentice!” Flamestar unsheathed his claws, “Like anda aren’t one!”
“At least I treat other kucing with respect!”
“You didn’t let me go first up the trunk! Where is the respect for anda leader in that?”
“You have five lebih lives still! Aren’t they used so anda could protect your clanmates?”
“You are beginning to sound like a cat from MoonClan! ‘Oh
Flamestar, anda should always put your Clan before you.’ Give me a break!”
Thunder suddenly membagi, split through the still air. Spotpaw and Flamestar stopped fighting and looked up to the stormy, dark sky. “Push me up Dawnpaw!’ Spotpaw wailed. jantung beats after Spotpaw started to scramble at the pohon Fruitfur was in Dawnpaw pushed him up, giving Spotpaw to Fruitfur who hauled him up on the branch. selanjutnya was Flamestar, who was a lot heavier than Spotpaw. Then, rain started to pour down, feeling like thorns every time they hit your pelt.
A long, eerie howl sounded and everybody froze. Bushes rustled, and all ears swiveled toward the sound. A grey muzzle poked out of the bush, sniffed, growled then disappeared. “Wolves!” Spiritpaw yowled and Dawnpaw pushed her clan mate up with the force of a senior warrior. Then snap! Something had bit down on her tail and Dawnpaw had to let go of her friend, to save her own tail. Spiritpaw tried to grip the tree, but it was just too slippery with rain. Snap! A snout tried to bite down on Spiritpaw’s tail but Fruitfur had hauled her up onto the branch.
Dawnpaw crouched low, looking to see how many enemies there were and there was lebih than Dawnpaw could battle off. There were five wolves. Quickly Dawnpaw slashed at the nearest muzzle and leaped away, and pelted through the undergrowth behind her. Drumming paw steps sounded behind Dawnpaw, and everything was a blur except the two rubah, fox lengths in front of her. Oh MoonClan, Dawnpaw thought, how am I going to survive?
Chapter 3
Trees flashed oleh and logs were in front of Dawnpaw to hurdle. The deadly drumming paw steps were behind her. Rabbits and deer ran away smelling their enemy. Dawnpaw had heard of serigala in stories from the nursery but they never sounded as dreadful as their growls behind her. Snap! Hot breath was on her tail, giving her another burst of fear and speed.
Maybe they don’t like cold things, let’s run in in that mud! Dawnpaw had that idea as soon as she leaped over a small stream. Can they jump well? Dawnpaw thought. They didn’t need to jump, the splashed right through it. Looks like they won’t care about mud either, Dawnpaw thought.
Dawnpaw pelted faster and swore the serigala could hear her jantung drumming it was so loud. Mud skidded around the horrified cat’s paws; she cast a glance back to see the serigala not far behind. She paused and started to kick mud into the wolves’ faces using her hind paws. The serigala halted in their tracks. They started to growl and bring paws up to their faces to wipe away the mud. Dawnpaw cast a mischievous look back. They were so clumsy! Dawnpaw thought, can’t they have neat paws like kucing do?
Suddenly a brown serigala jumped over his pack mates and landed in front of Dawnpaw. Immediately she stopped kicking up mud. Dawnpaw was surrounded. The brown wolf’s muzzle clamped down on her scruff and she was brought to the edge of a river oleh swift, drumming paws. It laid Dawnpaw down on her back. Slobber dripped on to her face as she stared back, horrified at the thought of what would happen next. The wolf’s eyes started to sparkle. A paw was then placed on her throat.
A huge paw swatted at the serigala holding Dawnpaw, and it barked something at him. A heavy paw rolled off Dawnpaw’s neck. The serigala who was about to shed Dawnpaw to pieces, stepped a few cat tails away. The same serigala looked back with his brown tail and head high. The bigger serigala growled at his strong posture, and leapt at him to shake him oleh the scruff.
Dawnpaw was horrified, the serigala turned against their own clan mates! She curled herself closer, inching a little farther away from the wolves, close to the river. The younger three serigala looked on at the battle, kneeing the ground with their paws. No eyes were on Dawnpaw. Even the eye gleaming serigala didn’t seem hungry anymore, and it crouched low, snarling. It jumped at his opponent, and swatted him over his eye. Blood started to drip.
It swelled over the wolf’s eye, starting to flood and make him loose his sight. The blindness didn’t help with the battle, and the brown serigala swatted again. A whimper sounded, and the serigala tried to back away. But the brown serigala had no tolerance for this, and swatted harder at his clan mate, pawing with one front leg, then the other, until he couldn’t stand on his back legs anymore. Blood poured over the weaker wolf’s head like a river. Dawnpaw watched on like a tree, frozen, who has seen many things before.
The dying serigala looked up at the stronger wolf, and started crawling up on its belly, whimpering and begging for mercy. In a voice that Dawnpaw could vaguely recognize, it growled, “Let this be a lesson to the younger wolves. That lesson is don’t mess with the prized wolf.” The serigala looked down with disapproval in his eyes. The serigala rolled over on its belly and wagged its tail hopefully. That did it. The stronger serigala jumped up high, a little meneruskan, ke depan and landed on its kerang mate. There was a crunch, a blood curling howl that was cut off, then, silence. Dawnpaw curled her tail tighter to herself.
The dominant serigala turned around and gave a long, low howl. The other serigala crawled up to him on their bellies, and started yapping, as if giving him praise. The dead serigala looked rather peaceful now, with his eyes closed and his body at rest, Dawnpaw thought, even though they could have killed me, I wish this serigala to go to a serigala version of MoonClan.
A sucking feel started on Dawnpaw’s back. Dawnpaw felt mud starting to slide on her pelt. She slid down the tiny edge. A roaring sound of the river followed. What if this is the river Flamestar nearly drowned in? Dawnpaw thought, the serigala didn’t go up to rip Spiritpaw to shreds, they can’t climb! Yet, I didn’t climb a tree! Dawnpaw unsheathed and sheathed her claws in annoyance.
A feeling of being watched again crept up Dawnpaw’s back. The serigala had turned silent and were pricking their ears to the popping sound from the sucking. They all looked towards Dawnpaw. The rushing river was now spraying at her ears, and Dawnpaw knew she would go face first, not a good sign. Oh MoonClan let this work. Dawnpaw thought. Dawnpaw got to her paws in a flash and jumped into the river.
The tugging of the river brought her down, and Dawnpaw struggled to put her feet down. She stretched, and felt no bottom. Horror gripped Dawnpaw like and owl grips his prey. She raised her head hoping to find air, but go pulled under again when something bit her tail.
Dawnpaw turned around to see the brown serigala glaring at her with his muzzle clamped on her tail. She kicked the serigala in the face and grappled up towards the surface. Fresh air hit her and Dawnpaw turned around to see the serigala having some trouble swimming in such a strong current. Dawnpaw looked ahead.
There was a log across the river, but not high enough for Dawnpaw to reach. A rustle in the trees overhead, took Dawnpaw oleh surprise when she looked up. For there, running through the trees was Fruitfur. He jumped down and landed on the log ahead. He bent meneruskan, ke depan and yowled, “It’s shallow here, try to jump out a little so I can reach your scruff!” Dawnpaw swam faster, and found rocks grazing her tail. The log was so close. She planted her feet on the water and leaped out with all her might.
Fruitfur’s jaw caught Dawnpaw oleh the scruff and the tom hauled her up. Water fell down Dawnpaw’s pelt like a waterfall. Dawnpaw shivered and looked back at the river. The serigala were swimming strongly along the river. They were all fighting each other to get me. The started to yap when they saw Fruitfur and one of the serigala tried to jump on the log. The jump was too high and the serigala went flying over the log. Suddenly all the extra sun light was blocked out and all Dawnpaw could smell was the horrid stench of wolves. Dawnpaw crouched low and tucked her tail in.
Then it was over, and Dawnpaw took a peek behind her. The serigala were in water rapids now, and they were flailing in the water. Dawnpaw sighed in relief. The sound of running paw steps and sighs of relief sounded in the boggy forest. “Dawnpaw, you’re okay!” Spiritpaw came onto the log to and yowled for joy, “I thought anda were going to be crowfood for sure!” The other kucing approached lebih silently. Flamestar padded up and sat down on the log. “What anda did was brave, and we now know what is taking our prey. Thank you.”
Spiritpaw came in quietly following Spotpaw. Fruitfur chose to sit selanjutnya to his leader; Spotpaw chose a spot selanjutnya to Dawnpaw, leaving Spiritpaw to sit at the back of the den, hearing the angry hissing of the senior warriors below. Spiritpaw tucked her tail away from the entrance, there is just no way they are going to claw the bulu of my tail!
Dawnpaw started to meow at Flamestar, while the others listened, Spiritpaw's mind started to drift away from the conversation. Spiritpaw squeezed her eyes hard and shook her head, this is why she forgot how to use burdock root and juniper berries!
"Well," Flamestar berkata awkwardly, "The truth is that it smelled like tress and woods but it smelled a tiny bit different from your scent.” Dawnpaw nodded and the wind from outside ruffled Spiritpaw's fur. Then she nearly gagged on a scent, and she was plunged into darkness.
There was a splash in a greenish river and Spiritpaw heard the sound of many drumming paw steps. A long eerie yowl sounded and Spiritpaw saw her tail and a long grey muzzle try to snap at it. Dark green eyes looked at her face and she saw blood dripping out of a mouth. Just dripping, then gushing until it filled Spiritpaw's vision like a new leaf flood. Then through the blood, Spiritpaw saw a faint outline of a creature she had in nightmares so many times before, a wolf.
...
Dawnpaw looked at the leader curiously, after the wind had carried a strange smell into the den. "Was that the scent?" Dawnpaw asked. The leader gave a weak nod. Dawnpaw sniffed the air, then sniffed her own pelt. Similar, but not quite, just like the leader had described it.
"Well, let’s go and track down the scent while we can,” Dawnpaw meowed, “that way we can see what it really is.” The leader stood up tall and let his muscles ripple under his pelt, "You are not going anywhere without being watched, anda are not going!" Dawnpaw, who had turned around and was padding towards the entrance of the leader’s den, looked behind her back, "Well, why not come Flamestar? I know anda always want to look out for an inexperienced cat, that is why anda are always so friendly during Gatherings at the maple Woods, is it not?”
Flamestar unsheathed his claws, then curled them back in and Dawnpaw noticed how deadly they looked as they glinted in the last rays of sun as it started to hit the horizon. Fruitfur stepped up to the leader and whispered into Flamestar’s ear. Flamestar cast a doubtful look towards Fruitfur then flicked his tail in acknowledgement. The leader turned to Dawnpaw and meowed under his breath loud enough for only Dawnpaw and Fruitfur to here. “I will go, but I will lead you,” he muttered, “only because anda might find the prey stealer and gabung forces with them.” Flamestar started to head out of his sarang, den and into the last streaks of today’s sun. Dawnpaw was behind Fruitfur, blocking her view of the leaders face.
Meanwhile the group of populer she-cats had gotten some fresh kill and was now sharing it in peace. Except for Robinheart, who had gone to the pakis covered entrance of the nursery. She was now watching her three kits try to replay the baru saja battle, while she shared tongues with a tom Dawnpaw thought was named Skybreeze.
One of the three kits stopped playing with her littermates and padded straight up to Dawnpaw, leaving tiny paw marks in the earth. Her eyes were wide with awe when she looked at Dawnpaw. “Are anda Robinheart’s kit that lives in OakClan?” her voice was tiny and shy, “Robinheart once mentioned she had a mate in OakClan, she berkata he was the most caring tom she ever met. She berkata his name was Fog-”
At that moment Spotpaw had gently shoved the little kit and started to head it away from Dawnpaw and head it to Robinheart instead. Halfway between the way to Robinheart he paused and looked at the kit sternly, quietly he started to whisper something to the kit and Dawnpaw strained her ears to hear the words. “Lilykit, what were anda thinking? Nobody in the Clan except anda knows that Dawnpaw and I are from two different Clans!” Spotpaw started to flick his tail side to side, “Do anda know how much trouble Robinheart would get in if the Clan knew that Gingerfur wasn’t her mate but Fog-” The little cat jumped and put a paw to his muzzle to stop him from saying anything further. Spotpaw glared at her then realized why Lilykit had done that and gave a tiny nod. She quietly took away her paw from Spotpaw's muzzle and put it to her own. Spotpaw rolled his eyes. Then the kit went back to her littermates and pounced on her brother, “I have now defeated you!” She meowed triumphantly.
Spotpaw looked back at Dawnpaw and started bounding past her, “The rest of the kucing might be gone soon, Dawnpaw! We need to hurry!” Dawnpaw watched as a golden tail with black spots disappear through the entrance. The camp was suddenly quiet. Dawnpaw glanced nervously around to see hostile eyes look back in every direction. “Uh, hi?” The cat nearest to her started snarling at her. Dawnpaw began to get a little lebih weary as lebih kucing started growling and closing a lingkaran around her. “Uh, see anda later!” She meowed and Dawnpaw launched herself at cheetah speed to the entrance to see Spiritpaw a little behind the group of SunClan cats, beckoning her to come with her tail.
When she reached her friend Spiritpaw gave her a worrying look, “What took anda so long? I thought anda were being ripped to shreds oleh SunClan warriors back there when I saw Spotpaw come without you!” Dawnpaw tried to laugh at the joke but it was useless, anda have no idea how much anda could have been right, Dawnpaw thought.
Chapter 2
The beautiful meadow was now far behind them and they were now in a foggy forest. The mysterious scent had led them here, and now the smell was getting stronger, and Dawnpaw began to wonder if this was the best idea, to head straight to the mysterious creature and confront it.
Beside her Spiritpaw jumped at every rustling leaf and bird that let out a call atau swooped over their heads. Spotpaw was sniffing the ground ahead of the Flamestar, who looked very nervous at being here. Fruitfur dropped back beside Dawnpaw and put his muzzle in his ear, “None of the SunClan kucing like going here because it is the forest and it is dense but Flamestar particularly doesn’t like this place because this is where he once got lost.” Fruitfur meowed, “He berkata he came across strange rocks that made him back up into a river and he nearly drowned, he berkata he thought he saw his life flashing before his eyes. That was before he was a deputy.” Dawnpaw nodded in reply and Fruitfur padded back behind Flamestar to rest a tail on him.
Spotpaw ahead gave a cough then lifted his head in disgust, “Yuck!!! It smells of gagak food!” Fruitfur bounded up to Spotpaw and swatted him playfully with a sheathed paw. “Mouse-brain! It is gagak food!” He meowed, “Whatever did it just decided to cover whatever smells with leaves to make it look neater.”
Dawnpaw crept up closer to see a mound of leaves, atau was it just a mound of leaves? Slowly she began to dig into the pile. Fruitfur and Spotpaw started to help too but Flamestar kept a aman, brankas distant away and Spiritpaw looked around, as if she thought she was being watched. When Dawnpaw noticed how Spiritpaw was akting she began to have the feeling that something was watching her too.
Taking her paws away from the pile she saw a skull with flesh still on it, the bone so bright, it dazzled in the gloom. “Yuck! You’re right Spotpaw this is disgusting!” Fruitfur and Spotpaw came around from their places and peered in the hole to look at the gagak food. Fruitfur gave it a prod, sending flies to zoom out of the hole. Fruitfur looked up and exclaimed, “It’s a deer skull!”
Spiritpaw gave a gasp of horror. All kucing turned to Spiritpaw, and Spotpaw gave a snort, “You are always jumpy, aren’t you?” Spiritpaw shook her head and Dawnpaw realized her tail was tucked under, “No. No,” She meowed with a wail she added, “No!”
Flamestar suddenly scrambled at a nearby tree. “The scent is here, can’t anda tell? It’s fresh and strong!” Spotpaw gave a doubtful glance at the tree. “We can’t climb.” Spotpaw berkata bitterly, “We can’t climb trees! Dawnpaw could anda help Fruitfur up a tree?” Fruitfur replied back from somewhere over head on a branch. “No need! I know how to climb trees! Since I was a former rouge I had to learn to get away from dogs!” Fruitfur added, “Dawnpaw could anda push him up so I can grab him oleh the scruff?” Dawnpaw nodded and started pushing Spotpaw up the tree.
Flamestar knocked Spotpaw down from the pohon just when Fruitfur was about to grab Spotpaw oleh the scruff. Dawnpaw lost balance and fell down, “What was that for?” Dawnpaw hissed scrambling to her feet. Flamestar turned and spat, “Push me up!” Spotpaw suddenly growled at Flamestar and said, “Don’t anda dare speak to her that way! She is only an apprentice!” Flamestar unsheathed his claws, “Like anda aren’t one!”
“At least I treat other kucing with respect!”
“You didn’t let me go first up the trunk! Where is the respect for anda leader in that?”
“You have five lebih lives still! Aren’t they used so anda could protect your clanmates?”
“You are beginning to sound like a cat from MoonClan! ‘Oh
Flamestar, anda should always put your Clan before you.’ Give me a break!”
Thunder suddenly membagi, split through the still air. Spotpaw and Flamestar stopped fighting and looked up to the stormy, dark sky. “Push me up Dawnpaw!’ Spotpaw wailed. jantung beats after Spotpaw started to scramble at the pohon Fruitfur was in Dawnpaw pushed him up, giving Spotpaw to Fruitfur who hauled him up on the branch. selanjutnya was Flamestar, who was a lot heavier than Spotpaw. Then, rain started to pour down, feeling like thorns every time they hit your pelt.
A long, eerie howl sounded and everybody froze. Bushes rustled, and all ears swiveled toward the sound. A grey muzzle poked out of the bush, sniffed, growled then disappeared. “Wolves!” Spiritpaw yowled and Dawnpaw pushed her clan mate up with the force of a senior warrior. Then snap! Something had bit down on her tail and Dawnpaw had to let go of her friend, to save her own tail. Spiritpaw tried to grip the tree, but it was just too slippery with rain. Snap! A snout tried to bite down on Spiritpaw’s tail but Fruitfur had hauled her up onto the branch.
Dawnpaw crouched low, looking to see how many enemies there were and there was lebih than Dawnpaw could battle off. There were five wolves. Quickly Dawnpaw slashed at the nearest muzzle and leaped away, and pelted through the undergrowth behind her. Drumming paw steps sounded behind Dawnpaw, and everything was a blur except the two rubah, fox lengths in front of her. Oh MoonClan, Dawnpaw thought, how am I going to survive?
Chapter 3
Trees flashed oleh and logs were in front of Dawnpaw to hurdle. The deadly drumming paw steps were behind her. Rabbits and deer ran away smelling their enemy. Dawnpaw had heard of serigala in stories from the nursery but they never sounded as dreadful as their growls behind her. Snap! Hot breath was on her tail, giving her another burst of fear and speed.
Maybe they don’t like cold things, let’s run in in that mud! Dawnpaw had that idea as soon as she leaped over a small stream. Can they jump well? Dawnpaw thought. They didn’t need to jump, the splashed right through it. Looks like they won’t care about mud either, Dawnpaw thought.
Dawnpaw pelted faster and swore the serigala could hear her jantung drumming it was so loud. Mud skidded around the horrified cat’s paws; she cast a glance back to see the serigala not far behind. She paused and started to kick mud into the wolves’ faces using her hind paws. The serigala halted in their tracks. They started to growl and bring paws up to their faces to wipe away the mud. Dawnpaw cast a mischievous look back. They were so clumsy! Dawnpaw thought, can’t they have neat paws like kucing do?
Suddenly a brown serigala jumped over his pack mates and landed in front of Dawnpaw. Immediately she stopped kicking up mud. Dawnpaw was surrounded. The brown wolf’s muzzle clamped down on her scruff and she was brought to the edge of a river oleh swift, drumming paws. It laid Dawnpaw down on her back. Slobber dripped on to her face as she stared back, horrified at the thought of what would happen next. The wolf’s eyes started to sparkle. A paw was then placed on her throat.
A huge paw swatted at the serigala holding Dawnpaw, and it barked something at him. A heavy paw rolled off Dawnpaw’s neck. The serigala who was about to shed Dawnpaw to pieces, stepped a few cat tails away. The same serigala looked back with his brown tail and head high. The bigger serigala growled at his strong posture, and leapt at him to shake him oleh the scruff.
Dawnpaw was horrified, the serigala turned against their own clan mates! She curled herself closer, inching a little farther away from the wolves, close to the river. The younger three serigala looked on at the battle, kneeing the ground with their paws. No eyes were on Dawnpaw. Even the eye gleaming serigala didn’t seem hungry anymore, and it crouched low, snarling. It jumped at his opponent, and swatted him over his eye. Blood started to drip.
It swelled over the wolf’s eye, starting to flood and make him loose his sight. The blindness didn’t help with the battle, and the brown serigala swatted again. A whimper sounded, and the serigala tried to back away. But the brown serigala had no tolerance for this, and swatted harder at his clan mate, pawing with one front leg, then the other, until he couldn’t stand on his back legs anymore. Blood poured over the weaker wolf’s head like a river. Dawnpaw watched on like a tree, frozen, who has seen many things before.
The dying serigala looked up at the stronger wolf, and started crawling up on its belly, whimpering and begging for mercy. In a voice that Dawnpaw could vaguely recognize, it growled, “Let this be a lesson to the younger wolves. That lesson is don’t mess with the prized wolf.” The serigala looked down with disapproval in his eyes. The serigala rolled over on its belly and wagged its tail hopefully. That did it. The stronger serigala jumped up high, a little meneruskan, ke depan and landed on its kerang mate. There was a crunch, a blood curling howl that was cut off, then, silence. Dawnpaw curled her tail tighter to herself.
The dominant serigala turned around and gave a long, low howl. The other serigala crawled up to him on their bellies, and started yapping, as if giving him praise. The dead serigala looked rather peaceful now, with his eyes closed and his body at rest, Dawnpaw thought, even though they could have killed me, I wish this serigala to go to a serigala version of MoonClan.
A sucking feel started on Dawnpaw’s back. Dawnpaw felt mud starting to slide on her pelt. She slid down the tiny edge. A roaring sound of the river followed. What if this is the river Flamestar nearly drowned in? Dawnpaw thought, the serigala didn’t go up to rip Spiritpaw to shreds, they can’t climb! Yet, I didn’t climb a tree! Dawnpaw unsheathed and sheathed her claws in annoyance.
A feeling of being watched again crept up Dawnpaw’s back. The serigala had turned silent and were pricking their ears to the popping sound from the sucking. They all looked towards Dawnpaw. The rushing river was now spraying at her ears, and Dawnpaw knew she would go face first, not a good sign. Oh MoonClan let this work. Dawnpaw thought. Dawnpaw got to her paws in a flash and jumped into the river.
The tugging of the river brought her down, and Dawnpaw struggled to put her feet down. She stretched, and felt no bottom. Horror gripped Dawnpaw like and owl grips his prey. She raised her head hoping to find air, but go pulled under again when something bit her tail.
Dawnpaw turned around to see the brown serigala glaring at her with his muzzle clamped on her tail. She kicked the serigala in the face and grappled up towards the surface. Fresh air hit her and Dawnpaw turned around to see the serigala having some trouble swimming in such a strong current. Dawnpaw looked ahead.
There was a log across the river, but not high enough for Dawnpaw to reach. A rustle in the trees overhead, took Dawnpaw oleh surprise when she looked up. For there, running through the trees was Fruitfur. He jumped down and landed on the log ahead. He bent meneruskan, ke depan and yowled, “It’s shallow here, try to jump out a little so I can reach your scruff!” Dawnpaw swam faster, and found rocks grazing her tail. The log was so close. She planted her feet on the water and leaped out with all her might.
Fruitfur’s jaw caught Dawnpaw oleh the scruff and the tom hauled her up. Water fell down Dawnpaw’s pelt like a waterfall. Dawnpaw shivered and looked back at the river. The serigala were swimming strongly along the river. They were all fighting each other to get me. The started to yap when they saw Fruitfur and one of the serigala tried to jump on the log. The jump was too high and the serigala went flying over the log. Suddenly all the extra sun light was blocked out and all Dawnpaw could smell was the horrid stench of wolves. Dawnpaw crouched low and tucked her tail in.
Then it was over, and Dawnpaw took a peek behind her. The serigala were in water rapids now, and they were flailing in the water. Dawnpaw sighed in relief. The sound of running paw steps and sighs of relief sounded in the boggy forest. “Dawnpaw, you’re okay!” Spiritpaw came onto the log to and yowled for joy, “I thought anda were going to be crowfood for sure!” The other kucing approached lebih silently. Flamestar padded up and sat down on the log. “What anda did was brave, and we now know what is taking our prey. Thank you.”