#3: Dawn
The young feline heroes of The New Prophecy have finally made it back to the forest—but their quest is far from over. . .
Now they must convince the fiercely independent Clans to travel together to a new home, through dangerous territory and without a clear destination. If they do not, their world will be destroyed, and the Clans will be lost forever. . .
Read an excerpt:
It was Crowpaw who scented the moorland first as the morning sun spread creamy light over the dew-soaked grass. Although he made no sound, Squirrelpaw saw his ears prick up and sensed him shake off a little of the weariness he had struggled against since Feathertail's death. The dark grey WindClan cat quickened his pace, hurrying up the slope, where mist still clung to the long grass. Squirrelpaw opened her mouth and drew in a deep breath until she too could taste the familiar scent of gorse and heather on the cold morning air. Then she dashed after him with Brambleclaw, Stormfur, and Tawneypelt following fast behind. They could all smell the moorland scents now; they all knew they were close to the end of their long, exhausting journey.
Without saying anything, the five cats stopped in a line at the edge of WindClan territory. Squirrelpaw glanced at her Clanmate, Brambleclaw, and then at Tawneypelt, the ShadowClan she-cat. Beside her, Stormfur, the gray RiverClan warrior, narrowed his eyes against the cold wind; but it was Crowpaw who stared most intensely at the rough grassland where he had been born.
"We would not have come this far without Feathertail," he murmured.
"She died to save us all," Stormfur agreed.
Squirrelpaw winced at the raw sorrow in the RiverClan warrior's voice. Feathertail was Stormfur's sister. She had died saving them from a ferocious predator after they met an unfamiliar group of cats in the mountains. The Tribe of Rushing Water lived behind a waterfall and listened to their own set of ancestors—not StarClan, but the Tribe of Endless Hunting. A mountain cat had been preying on the Tribe for many moons, picking them off one by one. When it had invaded the Tribe's cavern once again, Feathertail had managed to dislodge a pointed spur of stone from the roof and send it crashing down to kill the beast. But she had been fatally wounded in the fall, and now she lay beneath rocks in the Tribe's territory, close by with the sound of rushing water to guide her to StarClan.
"It was her destiny," Tawneypelt commented gently.
"Her destiny was to complete the quest with us," Crowpaw growled. "StarClan chose her to travel to the sun-drown place and hear what Midnight had to tell us. She shouldn't have died for another Clan's prophecy."
Stormfur padded to Crowpaw's side and nudged the WindClan apprentice with his muzzle. "Bravery and sacrifice are part of the warrior code," he reminded him. "Would you have wanted her to make any other choice?"
Crowpaw stared across the wind-ruffled gorse without replying. His ears twitched as if he were straining to hear Feathertail's voice on the breeze.
"Come on!" Squirrelflight bounded forward over the stunted grass, suddenly eager to finish the journey. She had argued with her father, Firestar, before she left, and her paws pricked with nervousness as she wondered how he would react to her return. When she and Brambleclaw left the forest, they had not told any of her Clan where they were going, nor why. Only Leafpaw, Squirrelpaw's sister, knew that StarClan had spoken to one cat from each Clan, telling them in dreams to go to the sun-drown-place to hear Midnight's prophecy. None of them guessed that Midnight would turn out to be a wise old badger; nor could they have imagined what momentous news she had to share with them.
Crowpaw raced past her to take the lead, knowing the territory better than any of them. He headed toward a swath of gorse and then disappeared along a rabbit track with Tawneypelt close behind. Squirrelpaw ducked her head to avoid catching her ears on the prickers as she followed them along the narrow tunnel. Brambleclaw and Stormfur were hot on her heels; she could feel the thud of their paws through the soil.
Do you like Dawn so far? Read the other books in the New Prophecy series: Midnight, Moonrise, Starlight, Twilight, and Sunset!
Now they must convince the fiercely independent Clans to travel together to a new home, through dangerous territory and without a clear destination. If they do not, their world will be destroyed, and the Clans will be lost forever. . .
Read an excerpt:
It was Crowpaw who scented the moorland first as the morning sun spread creamy light over the dew-soaked grass. Although he made no sound, Squirrelpaw saw his ears prick up and sensed him shake off a little of the weariness he had struggled against since Feathertail's death. The dark grey WindClan cat quickened his pace, hurrying up the slope, where mist still clung to the long grass. Squirrelpaw opened her mouth and drew in a deep breath until she too could taste the familiar scent of gorse and heather on the cold morning air. Then she dashed after him with Brambleclaw, Stormfur, and Tawneypelt following fast behind. They could all smell the moorland scents now; they all knew they were close to the end of their long, exhausting journey.
Without saying anything, the five cats stopped in a line at the edge of WindClan territory. Squirrelpaw glanced at her Clanmate, Brambleclaw, and then at Tawneypelt, the ShadowClan she-cat. Beside her, Stormfur, the gray RiverClan warrior, narrowed his eyes against the cold wind; but it was Crowpaw who stared most intensely at the rough grassland where he had been born.
"We would not have come this far without Feathertail," he murmured.
"She died to save us all," Stormfur agreed.
Squirrelpaw winced at the raw sorrow in the RiverClan warrior's voice. Feathertail was Stormfur's sister. She had died saving them from a ferocious predator after they met an unfamiliar group of cats in the mountains. The Tribe of Rushing Water lived behind a waterfall and listened to their own set of ancestors—not StarClan, but the Tribe of Endless Hunting. A mountain cat had been preying on the Tribe for many moons, picking them off one by one. When it had invaded the Tribe's cavern once again, Feathertail had managed to dislodge a pointed spur of stone from the roof and send it crashing down to kill the beast. But she had been fatally wounded in the fall, and now she lay beneath rocks in the Tribe's territory, close by with the sound of rushing water to guide her to StarClan.
"It was her destiny," Tawneypelt commented gently.
"Her destiny was to complete the quest with us," Crowpaw growled. "StarClan chose her to travel to the sun-drown place and hear what Midnight had to tell us. She shouldn't have died for another Clan's prophecy."
Stormfur padded to Crowpaw's side and nudged the WindClan apprentice with his muzzle. "Bravery and sacrifice are part of the warrior code," he reminded him. "Would you have wanted her to make any other choice?"
Crowpaw stared across the wind-ruffled gorse without replying. His ears twitched as if he were straining to hear Feathertail's voice on the breeze.
"Come on!" Squirrelflight bounded forward over the stunted grass, suddenly eager to finish the journey. She had argued with her father, Firestar, before she left, and her paws pricked with nervousness as she wondered how he would react to her return. When she and Brambleclaw left the forest, they had not told any of her Clan where they were going, nor why. Only Leafpaw, Squirrelpaw's sister, knew that StarClan had spoken to one cat from each Clan, telling them in dreams to go to the sun-drown-place to hear Midnight's prophecy. None of them guessed that Midnight would turn out to be a wise old badger; nor could they have imagined what momentous news she had to share with them.
Crowpaw raced past her to take the lead, knowing the territory better than any of them. He headed toward a swath of gorse and then disappeared along a rabbit track with Tawneypelt close behind. Squirrelpaw ducked her head to avoid catching her ears on the prickers as she followed them along the narrow tunnel. Brambleclaw and Stormfur were hot on her heels; she could feel the thud of their paws through the soil.
Do you like Dawn so far? Read the other books in the New Prophecy series: Midnight, Moonrise, Starlight, Twilight, and Sunset!